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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. swing — music
  3. firm — steady
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bank — of a river
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — for money
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. firm — a company
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — in football
  16. face — to confront
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. content — the amount
  19. branch — a division
  20. firm — decided
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. face — to point toward
  24. branch — of a bank

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