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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: spell · degree · wake · face · branch · mark · lash · mouse

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. degree — from a university
  9. branch — a division
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mark — a grade
  13. degree — an amount
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. degree — temperature
  22. spell — letters
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. spell — magic

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