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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — a division
  3. face — to confront
  4. present — the time now
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pass — a permit
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. present — a gift
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. present — there
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. face — part of the head
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. perch — for a bird

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