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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. branch — a division
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. file — a document
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. face — to confront
  11. file — a line of people
  12. face — to point toward
  13. file — a tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. date — the fruit
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. saw — the tool
  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