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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. hand — help
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hand — in cards
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — letters
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spell — magic
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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