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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 116 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. content — the amount
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. content — happy
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rule — a law
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. face — to confront
  16. branch — a division
  17. charge — a price
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rule — government
  23. mark — a grade
  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