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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: spell · face · bank · content · stand · drill · fine · staff

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bank — for money
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bank — of a river
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — happy
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — to bear
  12. drill — the tool
  13. spell — magic
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fine — all right
  16. content — the amount
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. drill — army training
  19. staff — a stick
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. staff — employees

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