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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tube — a container
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. face — to confront
  5. sharp — clever
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bank — for money
  9. track — to keep track
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rash — hasty
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bear — the animal
  17. track — a path
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. track — a song
  22. snap — to click
  23. rash — a series
  24. bear — the animal

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