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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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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ground — the earth
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. branch — a division
  7. pop — music
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. tube — a container
  12. firm — steady
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pop — soda
  15. firm — a company
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ground — a position
  18. firm — decided
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lie — to recline

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