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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. staff — employees
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — employees
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bass — the fish
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bass — low music
  19. branch — a division
  20. suit — in cards
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. face — to point toward
  24. net — for catching

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