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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 116 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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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 · key · march · face · net · fan · mug · perch

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mug — a face
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — the month
  7. mug — a cup
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. key — in music
  14. net — for catching
  15. march — the month
  16. branch — a division
  17. march — music
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. face — to point toward
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mug — to rob

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