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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. branch — a division
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wind — moving air
  9. last — final
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. last — finally
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lie — to recline
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. row — a line
  20. last — to go on
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. temple — a place of worship

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