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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. 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. branch — a division
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bank — for money
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. drill — army training
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bank — of a river
  11. clip — a video
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lie — to recline
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cue — a hint
  20. clip — for paper
  21. game — a match
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. 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