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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. band — a ring
  5. lie — to recline
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. band — a music group
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bark — to shout
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. key — in music
  18. pass — a permit
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. key — the most important part
  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