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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: wave · face · bark · cap · branch · kick · pitcher · saw

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — to shout
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cap — a hat
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. branch — a division
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. kick — in football
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. saw — the tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kick — a thrill

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