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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bank — for money
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pop — to visit
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — wild animals
  10. face — to confront
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. game — a match
  15. bank — for money
  16. pop — soda
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pop — music

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