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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lie — to recline
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. land — ground
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. branch — a division

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