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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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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: snap · wind · saw · face · branch · coach · court · fall

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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 bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fall — the season
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. face — part of the head
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. court — of a king
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. court — of law
  20. snap — to click
  21. court — for sport
  22. wind — moving air
  23. face — to confront
  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