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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. clip — to cut
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. branch — a division
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. bear — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. vault — a safe
  20. face — to confront
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bear — the animal

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