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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. club — a group
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. face — to point toward
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. club — for dancing
  10. land — a country
  11. lie — to recline
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wind — moving air
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. craft — boats
  17. club — for golf
  18. land — ground
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — a division
  21. object — an aim
  22. craft — a skill
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. craft — a handicraft

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