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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · rule · bowl · craft · nail · face · lean · mine

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rule — a law
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. craft — a skill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lean — to bend
  13. branch — a division
  14. lean — thin
  15. rule — government
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. face — to confront
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rule — to rule out

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