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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: current · sharp · bowl · wind · bank · lie · can · face

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wind — moving air
  5. current — happening now
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wind — moving air
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. can — a tin
  10. face — to confront
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. current — electric
  16. lie — to recline
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. face — to point toward
  19. current — of water
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. face — part of the head

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