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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cold — not warm
  4. track — to keep track
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. suit — clothes
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. branch — a division
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. track — a path
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cold — an illness
  19. track — a song
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fall — the season
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — to recline
  24. nail — for a hammer

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