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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spring — a coil
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bank — of a river
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spring — the season
  12. clip — to cut
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mark — a grade
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. clip — a video
  22. spring — of water
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. branch — a division

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