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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. squash — to crush
  3. branch — a division
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fall — the season
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bank — for money
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bank — of a river
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lie — to recline
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bank — for money
  20. bore — to drill
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. date — on the calendar

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