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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bark — to shout
  3. track — to keep track
  4. can — a tin
  5. fine — high quality
  6. track — a path
  7. can — to be able to
  8. branch — a division
  9. face — part of the head
  10. file — a line of people
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mug — a cup
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — all right
  16. face — to confront
  17. track — a song
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. file — a document
  20. mug — to rob
  21. file — a tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. branch — of a bank

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