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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. track — a song
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rest — a break
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — a path
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. branch — a division
  21. rock — music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rest — what's left
  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