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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cold — an illness
  3. branch — a division
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stock — shares
  6. cold — not warm
  7. chest — of your body
  8. current — electric
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. current — happening now
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stock — goods
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. current — of water

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