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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rush — hurry
  6. branch — a division
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — in music
  10. face — to point toward
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — a partner
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. face — to confront
  17. mate — to breed
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mate — a friend
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wave — with your hand

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