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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bass — low music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bass — the fish
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. branch — a division
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lie — to recline
  24. snap — to click

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