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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. band — a ring
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. face — to point toward
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wake — a trail
  10. foot — a measure
  11. band — a music group
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. hand — help
  14. face — part of the head
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. branch — a division
  17. face — to confront
  18. mug — a face
  19. board — to get on
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mug — a cup

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