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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: sharp · lash · degree · bore · bank · face · branch · swing

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bank — for money
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. branch — a division
  9. bank — for money
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bank — of a river
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. degree — an amount
  16. face — part of the head
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bore — to tire
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. face — to confront
  24. swing — to play on

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