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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. last — finally
  3. branch — a division
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. last — final
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. last — to go on
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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