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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. band — a music group
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. face — part of the head
  7. current — happening now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. band — a ring
  10. face — to confront
  11. scale — size or range
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — to point toward
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rest — what's left
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. branch — a division

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