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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cell — in biology
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. face — to point toward
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. face — to confront
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chest — of your body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bear — the animal
  22. branch — a division
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bear — the animal

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