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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. firm — steady
  9. rash — hasty
  10. branch — a division
  11. firm — a company
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — a tin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. firm — decided
  17. rash — a series
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lie — to recline
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — of a king

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