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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. branch — a division
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rest — a break
  9. game — wild animals
  10. deal — to handle
  11. land — to come down
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. game — a match
  18. face — to confront
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. land — a country
  22. pound — a weight
  23. land — ground
  24. pound — to hit hard

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