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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: ball · face · bank · arm · fine · bore · race · sharp

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. face — to confront
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — humankind
  8. ball — a dance
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. face — to point toward
  12. sharp — clever
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — a contest
  16. bore — to drill
  17. race — the arms race
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fine — all right
  23. bore — to tire
  24. arm — part of the body

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