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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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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: lie · face · hand · cabinet · bank · lean · march · jam

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. march — the month
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. face — part of the head
  6. hand — in cards
  7. lean — to bend
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. hand — help
  14. lean — thin
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. march — the month
  17. face — to point toward
  18. march — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. face — to confront
  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