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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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468
Word bank
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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. race — a contest
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rest — a break
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rest — what's left
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. branch — a division
  18. race — humankind
  19. wind — moving air
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lie — to recline
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. race — the arms race

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