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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bound — certain
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. face — to confront
  11. bound — obliged
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. row — to paddle
  15. face — part of the head
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. stock — shares
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bank — for money
  21. stock — goods
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bank — of a river

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