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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: rash · toast · kick · dip · march · plane · bank · face

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bank — for money
  4. toast — bread
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rash — hasty
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. face — to confront
  9. bank — for money
  10. march — the month
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kick — in football
  14. march — the month
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. march — music
  19. rash — a series
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bank — of a river
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. toast — the most admired

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