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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pass — a permit
  4. land — ground
  5. face — to point toward
  6. season — in sport
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — to come down
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — a division
  14. face — to confront
  15. season — of the year
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. land — a country
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. branch — of a tree

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