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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · fan · face · hide · wind · branch · date · rock

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. face — to confront
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wind — moving air
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wind — moving air
  20. date — the fruit
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — of a tree

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