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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
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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: fine · cold · face · toast · current · bank · object · wound

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — happening now
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fine — all right
  7. bank — for money
  8. object — to protest
  9. fine — high quality
  10. face — to confront
  11. object — an aim
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. object — a thing
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. toast — bread
  18. bank — of a river
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bank — for money
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. current — electric
  23. wound — an injury
  24. current — of water

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