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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — a division
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mark — a trace
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mark — a grade
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. face — to confront
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — all right
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fine — high quality

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