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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 · fine · lean · bay · bat · stem · swing · branch

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. face — to confront
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. lean — thin
  11. swing — music
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. branch — a division
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. fine — all right

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