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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — government
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. net — after costs
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rule — a law
  12. branch — a division
  13. lie — to recline
  14. net — in sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. net — for catching
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. saw — the tool
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. can — a tin

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