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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pop — to visit
  7. branch — a division
  8. tear — to rip
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. fine — high quality
  12. content — the amount
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. file — a document
  17. tear — from crying
  18. file — a tool
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pop — music
  21. last — final
  22. tear — from crying
  23. content — happy
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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