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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — tied together
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rest — a break
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. track — to keep track
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hand — help
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. track — a song
  20. bound — obliged
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bound — certain
  23. face — to confront
  24. hand — part of the 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