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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: game · face · lash · swing · fan · wave · branch · track

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. branch — a division
  3. track — a path
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. game — a match
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. swing — music
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. swing — to play on
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. track — a song
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wave — with your hand

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