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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. track — a song
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. face — to confront
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pop — music
  9. kick — in football
  10. pop — soda
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. face — part of the head
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. branch — a division
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — to keep track
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — the fish

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