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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
468
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: bank · face · bass · stick · roll · arm · wake · saw

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. roll — a list
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — a trail
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bass — the fish
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. roll — a cake
  17. face — to confront
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bass — low music
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bank — for money

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