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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. face — part of the head
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. face — to confront
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — the month
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. craft — a skill
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mine — for digging
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. face — to point toward
  19. march — the month
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. march — music
  22. craft — boats
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. calf — of the leg

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