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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 120 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: sharp · ground · band · dip · bank · mug · stick · face

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mug — a cup
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. ground — the earth
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ground — a position
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. band — a music group
  10. mug — to rob
  11. dip — to sink
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mug — a face
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. band — a ring
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bank — of a river
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. face — to confront
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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