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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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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: suit · bowl · deal · bank · chest · wake · kid · face

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. face — to point toward
  3. chest — of your body
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. suit — in cards
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. face — to confront
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chest — a box
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kid — child
  22. suit — to fit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wake — a trail

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