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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. track — to keep track
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pop — soda
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lie — to recline
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pit — in a race
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mine — for digging
  18. suit — clothes
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pop — to visit
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. track — a path
  23. pop — music
  24. track — a song

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