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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. face — part of the head
  3. staff — employees
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. face — to point toward
  6. track — a path
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. deal — to handle
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. track — to keep track
  13. branch — a division
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cell — a phone
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — to crush
  19. face — to confront
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cell — in biology
  24. track — a song

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