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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — the underground
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rest — a break
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. scale — in music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mate — a friend
  13. scale — size or range
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tube — a container
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — to breed
  20. shower — rain
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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