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

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. squash — the sport
  4. track — a path
  5. face — part of the head
  6. foot — a measure
  7. branch — a division
  8. mug — to rob
  9. face — to confront
  10. prune — to trim
  11. track — a song
  12. mate — a partner
  13. squash — to crush
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mate — a friend
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mug — a cup
  21. track — to keep track
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. foot — part of the body

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