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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: sharp · branch · track · content · leaves · fine · season · face

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. face — part of the head
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. track — a path
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. content — happy
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. face — to point toward
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. track — a song
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fine — high quality
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. sharp — clever
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. content — the amount
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. face — to confront
  22. branch — a division
  23. fine — all right
  24. track — to keep track

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