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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — to bear
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bass — low music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. degree — from a university
  11. branch — a division
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bass — the fish
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. face — part of the head
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — to confront
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — the season

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