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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rash — hasty
  6. saw — the tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. capital — money
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. suit — to fit
  15. branch — a division
  16. suit — clothes
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. capital — a city
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. face — part of the head
  22. suit — in cards
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rash — a series

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