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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. land — ground
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ball — a great time
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ball — a dance
  9. track — a song
  10. kid — child
  11. rush — hurry
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. track — a path
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. land — a country
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. land — to come down
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. craft — boats
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — to recline

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