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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rock — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. march — music
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. march — the month
  10. kid — child
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rest — a break
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — to recline
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. march — the month
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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