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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — a company
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. firm — steady
  5. staff — employees
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. wake — a trail
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. firm — decided
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fall — to drop
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — a division
  22. fall — the season
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. foot — a measure

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