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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. toast — bread
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. face — to point toward
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. march — music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. march — the month
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — for digging
  21. face — to confront
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. march — the month

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