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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. face — to confront
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. wind — moving air
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. present — a gift
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wind — moving air
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. branch — a division
  24. wind — to turn a key

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