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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 · hide · rash · bank · face · staff · present · pound

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. staff — employees
  3. present — the time now
  4. face — part of the head
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bank — for money
  11. pound — a weight
  12. face — to confront
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ball — a dance
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. present — there
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bank — for money
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. staff — a stick

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