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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bass — the fish
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bore — to tire
  15. branch — a division
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bass — low music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. plane — in geometry

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