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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — finally
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pitch — completely
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. last — to go on
  16. kick — in football
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bear — the animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. last — final
  24. branch — of a tree

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