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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. land — to come down
  3. face — to confront
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. land — a country
  7. branch — a division
  8. face — to point toward
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. dip — to sink
  12. court — for sport
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. land — ground
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — a trace

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