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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. face — part of the head
  3. branch — a division
  4. row — a line
  5. clip — for paper
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cap — a hat
  10. drill — army training
  11. clip — to cut
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cap — a lid
  14. face — to confront
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. drill — a practice
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. swing — music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. clip — a video
  21. swing — in golf
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. swing — to play on
  24. safe — out of danger

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