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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 116 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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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: present · straw · fall · leaves · face · rock · cap · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. face — to point toward
  4. present — a gift
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fall — the season
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. present — there
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bank — for money
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rock — music
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rock — a stone
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. present — the time now
  23. face — to confront
  24. leaves — lets stay

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