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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. current — of water
  3. branch — a division
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. lie — to recline
  9. current — happening now
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. current — electric
  18. wax — to grow
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fork — in a road
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. ground — a position

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