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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rest — a break
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to click
  7. ball — a great time
  8. club — for golf
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. club — a group
  19. branch — a division
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pass — a permit

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