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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: bass · racket · calf · rush · mine · mark · face · bank

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bank — of a river
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bass — the fish
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — for money
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. face — to confront
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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