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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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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: bore · bank · key · jam · scale · face · present · wind

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. scale — size or range
  3. present — the time now
  4. face — to confront
  5. present — a gift
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bank — for money
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. scale — in music
  20. face — part of the head
  21. present — there
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. wind — moving air

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