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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: court · bound · bay · fall · branch · face · field · mug

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. field — for sport
  4. court — for sport
  5. bound — certain
  6. field — a subject
  7. mug — a face
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. branch — a division
  13. mug — to rob
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. court — of a king
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bound — tied together
  19. court — of law
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bound — obliged
  23. field — farmland
  24. face — to confront

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