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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: rock · branch · mine · bulb · march · hide · face · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rock — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — magic
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — a division
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mine — for digging
  18. spell — letters
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bulb — for light
  21. face — to confront
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. mine — an explosive

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