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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. swing — to play on
  10. kick — in football
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. track — to keep track
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. squash — to crush
  16. face — to confront
  17. swing — in golf
  18. face — part of the head
  19. squash — the sport
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. swing — music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. branch — a division
  24. dip — to sink

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