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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. branch — a division
  6. stand — to bear
  7. last — finally
  8. lie — to recline
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. track — a path
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. track — a song
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pit — in a race
  24. last — final

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