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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. charge — in control
  4. branch — a division
  5. cue — a signal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cue — for pool
  8. race — a contest
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. face — to confront
  14. season — of the year
  15. race — humankind
  16. season — in sport
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — a price
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cue — a hint
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. face — to point toward
  23. charge — electricity
  24. branch — of a tree

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