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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.

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 · present · bank · roll · fan · face · bowl · hide

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bank — for money
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bank — for money
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. present — the time now
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. face — to confront
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. roll — a cake
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. roll — a list

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