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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: face · squash · kick · bank · cell · wave · stick · fall

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bank — of a river
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. kick — in football
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fall — the season
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. face — to confront
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fall — to drop

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