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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bound — tied together
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. branch — a division
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lie — to recline
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — a trail
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. tube — a container
  19. ball — a dance
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bound — certain

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