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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. drill — army training
  6. degree — from a university
  7. press — to push
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stand — to bear
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wax — to grow
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. branch — a division
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. degree — an amount
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — 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