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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. branch — a division
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bank — for money
  8. chip — for betting
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — letters
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pound — a weight
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. chip — to eat
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spell — magic
  24. face — to confront

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