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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. track — a path
  3. craft — a skill
  4. track — a song
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — a division
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. craft — boats
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mug — to rob
  18. lie — to recline
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mug — a face
  22. fall — the season
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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