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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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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: date · last · branch · face · bowl · chest · fork · swing

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. chest — a box
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. swing — music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. last — final
  18. face — part of the head
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chest — of your body
  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