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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wound — an injury
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wound — an injury
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. branch — a division
  9. dip — to sink
  10. face — to confront
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. face — to point toward
  17. object — a thing
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. branch — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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