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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.

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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 · fall · mate · face · current · nail · saw · sharp

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. current — happening now
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. sharp — clever
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mate — a friend
  11. current — electric
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. face — part of the head
  15. saw — the tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. face — to confront
  19. fall — the season
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. branch — a division
  22. current — of water
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fall — to drop

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