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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. season — of the year
  3. pop — soda
  4. rule — government
  5. pop — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — in sport
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rule — a law
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pop — to visit

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