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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. last — final
  11. firm — steady
  12. last — finally
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wake — a trail
  18. firm — decided
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. face — to point toward
  21. spell — letters
  22. last — to go on
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. firm — a company

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