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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mate — a friend
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. net — after costs
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — part of the head
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. branch — a division
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. field — for sport
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mate — to breed
  18. net — in sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. field — a subject
  22. mate — a partner
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. face — to confront

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