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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. staff — a stick
  4. can — to be able to
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mate — to breed
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. staff — employees
  14. stock — shares
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stock — goods
  17. face — to confront
  18. can — a tin
  19. rash — a series
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bowl — a dish

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