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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. branch — a division
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chest — a box
  16. face — to confront
  17. chest — of your body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bank — for money
  24. chest — of your body

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