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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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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: bowl · bank · spring · rule · leaves · ruler · march · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bank — for money
  3. march — music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bank — for money
  7. rule — government
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spring — the season
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rule — a law
  12. bank — of a river
  13. march — the month
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. march — the month
  17. spring — of water
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. face — to confront
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ruler — for measuring

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