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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 120 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: stick · firm · bat · branch · face · net · mouse · rule

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. branch — a division
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. firm — decided
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. firm — a company
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. net — for catching
  22. firm — steady
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mouse — the animal

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