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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. clip — a video
  3. toast — bread
  4. branch — a division
  5. object — a thing
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. object — an aim
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. object — to protest
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. clip — to cut
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cold — the Cold War

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