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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. prune — to trim
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. key — in music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — part of the head
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mate — a partner
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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