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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. suit — in cards
  3. branch — a division
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. suit — clothes
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. club — for golf
  18. wound — an injury
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. suit — to fit
  23. chip — for betting
  24. club — a group

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