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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. firm — decided
  5. rest — a break
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lie — to recline
  9. firm — a company
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. sharp — clever
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. firm — steady
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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