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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: face · season · bear · wound · safe · field · branch · land

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. field — for sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — to come down
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. land — a country
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. field — farmland
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. land — ground
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. field — a subject
  19. face — to confront
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. wound — an injury
  23. safe — out of danger
  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