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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. face — to point toward
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. can — to be able to
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. can — a tin
  13. staff — employees
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. capital — a city
  18. branch — a division
  19. capital — money
  20. can — a tin
  21. face — to confront
  22. staff — employees
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — a grade

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