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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lie — to recline
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mate — to breed
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — part of the head
  16. plane — a tool
  17. suit — clothes
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — a partner
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. suit — in cards
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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