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

Word bank: face · branch · saw · season · arm · cap · roll · charge

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. face — to confront
  7. charge — in control
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. season — in sport
  12. face — to point toward
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cap — of ice
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. season — of the year
  17. branch — a division
  18. roll — a list
  19. face — part of the head
  20. charge — a price
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cap — a lid
  23. charge — electricity
  24. roll — a cake

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