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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. branch — a division
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. clip — a video
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lean — thin
  13. suit — in cards
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bark — to shout
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lie — to recline
  22. suit — clothes
  23. clip — to cut
  24. lean — to bend

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