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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. track — to keep track
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. track — a path
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. face — to confront
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. track — a song
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. face — to point toward

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