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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. branch — a division
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — a break
  15. rule — a law
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rule — government
  18. lie — an untruth

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