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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. can — to be able to
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — a division
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a document
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wound — an injury
  21. file — a tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. can — a tin

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