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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: spell · game · fall · branch · jam · face · saw · stand

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. branch — a division
  6. face — to confront
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. spell — letters
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. spell — magic
  20. stand — to bear
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fall — the season
  23. game — a match
  24. spell — a short time

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