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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. season — in sport
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. season — of the year
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. rash — a series
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. craft — a skill
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. craft — boats
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. drill — the tool

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