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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
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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: fan · branch · season · trunk · chair · leaves · face · can

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chair — a leader
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. face — part of the head
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. season — of the year
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. face — to confront
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. can — to be able to
  24. branch — a division

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