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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. face — to confront
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. branch — a division
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. suit — to fit
  9. face — to point toward
  10. march — the month
  11. track — a song
  12. suit — in cards
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. track — to keep track
  20. march — music
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. track — a path
  24. march — the month

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