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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — in music
  5. shower — rain
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. scale — size or range
  8. tube — a container
  9. face — to confront
  10. branch — a division
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rest — what's left
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rest — a break
  17. shower — to wash
  18. branch — of a bank

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