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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: mug · wave · branch · firm · march · face · cell · hand

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hand — help
  4. face — to point toward
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cell — in biology
  7. march — the month
  8. mug — to rob
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. firm — steady
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. face — to confront
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. branch — a division
  16. mug — a face
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. firm — a company
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. firm — decided
  23. face — part of the head
  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