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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bank — for money
  4. face — to confront
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. kid — child
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. kid — to tease
  14. face — part of the head
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bank — of a river
  19. track — a song
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com