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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — a measure
  6. drill — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rash — a series
  12. lean — thin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lean — to bend
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. spring — the season
  18. drill — army training
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rash — hasty
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. branch — of a bank

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