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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: bank · net · ball · face · firm · chip · bay · cold

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ball — a great time
  4. firm — steady
  5. face — to confront
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — not warm
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bank — of a river
  11. firm — decided
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. face — to point toward
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bank — for money
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. net — for catching
  19. chip — for betting
  20. net — after costs
  21. firm — a company
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. net — in sport
  24. cold — an illness

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