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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: content · can · fan · mate · race · branch · face · scale

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mate — a friend
  5. content — the amount
  6. can — a tin
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. face — to confront
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — a division
  16. scale — size or range
  17. face — part of the head
  18. content — happy
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. face — to point toward
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mate — to breed

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