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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. file — a tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ball — a dance
  9. track — to keep track
  10. file — a line of people
  11. track — a song
  12. tube — a container
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. file — a document
  15. ball — a great time
  16. drill — a practice
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pass — a permit
  19. track — a path
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. tube — the underground
  22. branch — a division
  23. drill — army training
  24. lie — an untruth

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