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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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. mine — an explosive
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. track — a song
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. march — the month
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. dip — to sink
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. march — music
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. branch — a division
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. march — the month

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