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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bank — for money
  4. board — to get on
  5. object — a thing
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bank — of a river
  8. land — to come down
  9. bank — for money
  10. object — to protest
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stand — to bear
  14. object — an aim
  15. board — a committee
  16. tube — a container
  17. land — ground
  18. face — to confront
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. row — a line
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. land — a country
  24. board — a flat piece

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