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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. face — to confront
  3. net — in sport
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. face — to point toward
  10. march — the month
  11. root — of a word
  12. mug — to rob
  13. drill — army training
  14. root — the cause
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. branch — a division
  20. root — of a plant
  21. face — part of the head
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mug — a face

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