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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. key — for a lock
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. face — to confront
  5. rock — a stone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pop — soda
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — music
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. face — to point toward
  16. scale — in music
  17. branch — a division
  18. mate — a friend
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rock — music
  24. wind — moving air

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