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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rock — a stone
  4. key — in music
  5. branch — a division
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — to sink
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bat — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rock — music

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