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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. lean — to bend
  4. face — to confront
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — to drop
  9. staff — employees
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. tube — a container
  15. roll — a list
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. roll — a cake
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lean — thin
  21. fall — the season
  22. face — part of the head
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pitcher — a jug

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