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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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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 · lash · content · shower · sharp · face · suit · perch

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. sharp — clever
  4. face — to point toward
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. suit — in cards
  7. face — part of the head
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. content — happy
  11. shower — rain
  12. content — the amount
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. shower — to wash
  17. perch — the fish
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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