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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: hide · wake · mark · bank · face · bound · fan · lean

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — certain
  3. bank — of a river
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — a grade
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lean — thin
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bank — for money
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. mark — a trace

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