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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: fork · bear · lean · wake · band · bowl · mouse · face

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. face — to confront
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lean — thin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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