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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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. stock — shares
  4. march — the month
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. march — music
  8. branch — a division
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. object — an aim
  13. cold — an illness
  14. march — the month
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cold — not warm
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. tear — from crying
  20. object — to protest
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. object — a thing
  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