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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 124 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. branch — a division
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cell — a phone
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — low music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — in biology
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lie — to recline
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bass — the fish
  24. deal — to handle

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