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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. current — of water
  4. object — a thing
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. face — part of the head
  10. current — electric
  11. object — an aim
  12. game — a match
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. face — to confront
  16. object — to protest
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hand — help
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. current — happening now
  22. hand — in cards
  23. game — wild animals
  24. branch — a division

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