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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.

Make a worksheet

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: branch · roll · ball · key · perch · chest · content · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. key — for a lock
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chest — of your body
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. content — the amount
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chest — of your body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — in music
  12. roll — a list
  13. branch — a division
  14. content — happy
  15. chest — a box
  16. ball — a great time
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ball — a dance
  19. roll — a cake
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. face — to confront
  23. key — the most important part
  24. roll — on a roll

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