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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 124 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — of a river
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. band — a music group
  20. ground — crushed
  21. band — a ring
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ground — a position

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