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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.

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: branch · court · wave · saw · stick · face · bark · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — of law
  8. saw — the tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. court — of a king
  11. face — part of the head
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. court — for sport
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. face — to confront
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mine — belonging to me

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