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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: bay · stem · rash · fall · wake · face · court · bank

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. face — to confront
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bank — for money
  6. fall — the season
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bank — for money
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. court — of law
  22. rash — a series
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stem — of a plant

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