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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cap — a hat
  5. face — to confront
  6. race — a contest
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. race — humankind
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cap — of ice
  19. branch — a division
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cap — a lid

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