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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bass — low music
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. content — the amount
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. key — in music
  14. branch — a division
  15. bass — the fish
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. content — happy
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. face — to point toward
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. key — for a lock
  23. face — to confront
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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