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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · spring · wind · foot · bank · face · pop · land

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. face — to confront
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — to come down
  10. spring — the season
  11. wind — moving air
  12. land — ground
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. land — a country
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spring — a coil
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — of water
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pop — music

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