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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wound — an injury
  3. face — to confront
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rock — a stone
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bound — tied together
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wound — an injury
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. branch — a division
  18. face — part of the head
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rock — music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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