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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. firm — decided
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. firm — a company
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. march — music
  16. tube — a container
  17. stem — to come from
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. firm — steady
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. branch — a division

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