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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bass — the fish
  5. face — part of the head
  6. branch — a division
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. bound — certain
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. charge — in control
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bound — obliged
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bass — low music

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