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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. object — a thing
  3. band — a ring
  4. ball — a dance
  5. band — a music group
  6. ball — a great time
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — to confront
  15. stand — to bear
  16. object — an aim
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mark — a grade
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — part of the head
  21. object — to protest
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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