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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. branch — a division
  5. face — to confront
  6. row — a line
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. current — of water
  9. row — to paddle
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. plane — a tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. ball — a dance
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. tear — to rip
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tear — from crying
  19. snap — to click
  20. current — electric
  21. ball — a great time
  22. face — to point toward
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ball — a round shape

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