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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fine — high quality
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. net — for catching
  8. fine — all right
  9. bank — of a river
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bank — for money
  17. net — after costs
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. net — in sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. branch — a division

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