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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. tube — a container
  3. last — finally
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. last — to go on
  11. wax — to grow
  12. face — to confront
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rock — a stone
  15. last — final
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bank — of a river

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