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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.

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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: face · cue · season · kick · bank · capital · track · bear

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. face — part of the head
  7. track — a path
  8. bank — for money
  9. cue — a hint
  10. track — a song
  11. face — to point toward
  12. capital — money
  13. kick — in football
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. capital — a city
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. face — to confront
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cue — for pool

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