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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. branch — a division
  4. tube — a container
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. tube — the underground
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bank — for money
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bank — of a river
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — to sit on

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