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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fall — to drop
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. last — finally
  12. row — to paddle
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fall — the season
  16. plane — a tool
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bound — certain
  19. key — in music
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fall — to drop
  24. key — the most important part

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