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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 116 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: rock · suit · sharp · staff · face · bank · tear · wound

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. rock — a stone
  3. staff — employees
  4. bank — for money
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rock — music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. tear — to rip
  9. staff — employees
  10. bank — for money
  11. face — to point toward
  12. suit — in cards
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. face — to confront
  20. staff — a stick
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bank — of a river
  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