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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: pit · bank · face · rock · spring · squash · bound · bear

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. bound — tied together
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rock — music
  14. spring — a coil
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. spring — the season
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — to move gently

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