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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. key — the most important part
  10. branch — a division
  11. bank — for money
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — a friend
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. key — in music
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mate — to breed
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wind — moving air

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