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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. face — part of the head
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — a division
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pop — music
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. staff — a stick
  11. track — a path
  12. march — the month
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pop — to visit
  16. face — to point toward
  17. track — a song
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. press — to push
  23. face — to confront
  24. lash — to lash out

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