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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: ball · stick · bank · wound · fan · face

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. 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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bank — for money
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bank — of a river
  18. 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