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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. branch — a division
  3. fall — to drop
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pop — music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pop — soda
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. fall — the season
  23. lie — to recline
  24. squash — the sport

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