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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ball — a great time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. face — part of the head
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ball — a dance
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. present — the time now
  22. rock — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to point toward

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