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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. degree — temperature
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cue — a hint
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. degree — from a university
  12. branch — a division
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — finally
  18. cue — for pool
  19. last — to go on
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. last — final
  24. lash — an eyelash

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