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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. branch — a division
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mark — a trace
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pass — a permit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — to confront
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mark — a grade
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — to play on
  24. branch — of a bank

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