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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. current — happening now
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. capital — money
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. scale — in music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. scale — size or range
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — electric
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — a division
  17. current — of water
  18. face — to point toward
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. capital — a city
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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