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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. craft — a skill
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — boats
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. march — music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. march — the month
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. degree — an amount
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stand — to bear
  18. degree — from a university
  19. branch — a division
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. face — to point toward
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. face — part of the head

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