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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mug — a face
  9. season — of the year
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. clip — a video
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mug — to rob
  14. branch — a division
  15. season — in sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mug — a cup
  18. can — a tin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. can — a tin
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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