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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: pass · ruler · key · spring · bank · hide · stand · face

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. key — in music
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bank — for money
  10. face — to confront
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bank — for money
  14. pass — a permit
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bank — of a river
  23. spring — the season
  24. ruler — a monarch

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