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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wake — a trail
  8. season — of the year
  9. scale — in music
  10. rule — government
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pass — a permit
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. season — in sport
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. scale — size or range
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rule — a law

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