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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. spell — letters
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. branch — a division
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kid — child
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bank — for money
  18. date — the fruit
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. spell — a short time
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — the tool

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