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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. file — a document
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. file — a tool
  9. mate — a friend
  10. branch — a division
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lie — to recline
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. deal — to handle
  21. sharp — clever
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mate — to breed
  24. branch — of a bank

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