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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · tear · bear · bank · face · fall

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bank — of a river
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fall — to drop
  5. face — to confront
  6. bank — for money
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fall — the season
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. bear — the animal
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. face — part of the head

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