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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bank — for money
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. face — to confront
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. present — there
  12. row — to paddle
  13. key — for a lock
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. kick — in football
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. face — to point toward
  19. row — a line
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. track — to keep track
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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