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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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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: face · branch · bear · mouse · bat · bank · lie · chair

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. branch — a division
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chair — a leader
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bat — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bat — for baseball

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