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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. branch — a division
  3. fall — the season
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rash — hasty
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rash — a series
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spell — magic
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tear — to rip
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. vault — a safe
  22. spell — letters
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rash — on the skin

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