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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.

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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: mark · branch · wake · race · drill · face · last · perch

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — army training
  4. face — to confront
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wake — a trail
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. branch — a division
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. drill — the tool
  20. last — final
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. face — part of the head
  23. perch — for a bird
  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