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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chair — a leader
  3. file — a line of people
  4. branch — a division
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. drill — the tool
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pop — music
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. file — a document
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pop — soda
  14. drill — a practice
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. drill — army training
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — to recline
  23. file — a tool
  24. chair — to sit on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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