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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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Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. face — to confront
  7. spell — magic
  8. drill — the tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fall — the season
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ball — a dance
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fall — to drop
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ball — a great time
  24. safe — a strongbox

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