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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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chair — a leader
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. branch — a division
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chair — to sit on

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