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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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468
Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cell — a phone
  4. face — to confront
  5. spell — magic
  6. face — part of the head
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. branch — a division
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. craft — boats
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fall — the season
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cell — in biology

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