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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. row — a line
  4. branch — a division
  5. rash — a series
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cap — a lid
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cap — a hat
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — of ice
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. face — to confront
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rest — what's left
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rest — a break

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