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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: branch · bat · race · lash · fine · scale · toast · face

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fine — high quality
  4. face — to point toward
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. race — humankind
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. race — the arms race
  14. face — to confront
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. race — a contest
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fine — all right
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. branch — a division
  22. toast — bread
  23. scale — in music
  24. bat — for baseball

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