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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — a division
  4. swing — in golf
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — to recline
  8. swing — music
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. snap — to click
  18. kid — child
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. swing — to play on
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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