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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. face — to confront
  3. spring — the season
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. swing — in golf
  8. row — to paddle
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lean — to bend
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bank — of a river
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. swing — music
  17. spring — of water
  18. face — to point toward
  19. swing — to play on
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lean — thin
  22. bank — for money
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bank — for money

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