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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. face — to point toward
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bear — the animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cold — an illness
  14. roll — a list
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. face — to confront
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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