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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — low music
  4. mug — a face
  5. face — to confront
  6. bass — the fish
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — to rob
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. branch — a division
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. face — part of the head
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mug — a cup
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. face — to point toward
  24. snap — to click

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