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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.

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: face · pitcher · present · fan · lash · bear · fall · branch

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fall — the season
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. present — the time now
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — a division
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fall — to drop
  14. present — a gift
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — there
  18. face — to confront
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fan — a supporter

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