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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: saw · pitch · branch · present · content · wave · face · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. content — the amount
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rest — a break
  5. face — to confront
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. face — part of the head
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. present — there
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitch — completely
  16. present — the time now
  17. rest — what's left
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. present — a gift
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. content — happy

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