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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: content · foot · face · pass · branch · drill · track · calf

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. drill — a practice
  3. track — to keep track
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — to confront
  7. foot — a measure
  8. track — a song
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. face — to point toward
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. drill — army training
  17. track — a path
  18. content — happy
  19. drill — the tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. content — the amount
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. branch — a division

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