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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mark — a grade
  4. branch — a division
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — a price
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. face — to point toward
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. band — a ring
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. bank — of a river
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bat — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. band — a music group

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