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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 124 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. tube — the underground
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — in golf
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. tube — a container
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. swing — to play on
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. swing — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rest — a break
  24. lie — to recline

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