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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lie — to recline
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. swing — music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. date — the fruit
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ball — a dance
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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