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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to click
  4. drill — army training
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. drill — the tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. branch — a division
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. object — to protest
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. object — an aim
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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