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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. clip — a video
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. branch — a division
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fine — all right
  17. ball — a dance
  18. clip — to cut
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — a tin
  24. clip — for paper

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