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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 116 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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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: row · stock · face · bound · mug · bank · spell · fan

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mug — a face
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bound — tied together
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stock — shares
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stock — goods
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. face — to confront
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bank — of a river
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bound — certain
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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