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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. band — a ring
  3. bear — the animal
  4. last — final
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. last — finally
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. band — a music group
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bore — to tire
  18. last — to go on
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. face — to confront
  23. bore — to drill
  24. branch — a division

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