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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 120 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. track — to keep track
  4. scale — in music
  5. track — a path
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. game — a match
  8. lie — to recline
  9. tear — from crying
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tear — from crying
  13. track — a song
  14. game — wild animals
  15. press — to push
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. tear — to rip
  20. scale — size or range
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. scale — for weighing
  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