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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: fall · firm · bank · kid · rash · face · row · present

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. kid — child
  4. present — the time now
  5. row — a line
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bank — for money
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — steady
  11. present — there
  12. fall — to drop
  13. row — to paddle
  14. firm — a company
  15. bank — for money
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fall — the season
  20. face — to confront
  21. firm — decided
  22. face — to point toward
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. present — a gift

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