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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: rule · cabinet · mine · face · bank · fork · sharp · wind

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wind — moving air
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bank — of a river
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rule — a law
  14. bank — for money
  15. fork — in a road
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wind — moving air
  21. face — to confront
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wind — to turn a key

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