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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. face — to confront
  3. bank — for money
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. race — the arms race
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bank — for money
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bank — of a river
  14. game — a match
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. race — a contest
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mate — a partner
  21. race — humankind
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. branch — a division

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