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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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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: bank · cell · face · board · pound · wave · fork · scale

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cell — in biology
  3. face — to confront
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. scale — in music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bank — for money
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. board — to get on
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fork — in a road
  22. board — a committee
  23. scale — size or range
  24. face — to point toward

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