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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. march — the month
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wake — a trail
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. march — the month
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. branch — a division
  19. track — a path
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. march — music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lash — to lash out

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