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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. bass — the fish
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mark — a grade
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bass — low music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. prune — to trim
  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