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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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. patient — a sick person
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. club — for dancing
  10. file — a document
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lie — to recline
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pass — a permit
  16. club — for golf
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. club — a group
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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