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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 120 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: rush · branch · mouse · face · spell · bat · scale · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. scale — in music
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. spell — magic
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. spell — letters
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. face — to confront
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rush — hurry
  24. face — to point toward

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