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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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rash — a series
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. branch — a division
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. last — to go on
  17. face — to confront
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. bank — of a river
  24. branch — of a tree

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