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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. suit — clothes
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chip — for betting
  5. suit — in cards
  6. branch — a division
  7. face — to confront
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chip — to eat
  10. race — a contest
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. race — humankind
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. band — a music group
  18. bore — to tire
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. race — the arms race
  22. band — a ring
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bore — to drill

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