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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. land — ground
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — a country
  11. face — to confront
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. land — to come down
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. snap — to click
  20. band — a music group
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. face — part of the head
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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