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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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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: face · rest · fine · bank · wind · cold · ruler · swing

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cold — an illness
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rest — a break
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. swing — music
  9. cold — not warm
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fine — all right
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bank — for money
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. swing — to play on
  24. face — to confront

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