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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pass — a permit
  5. snap — to click
  6. branch — a division
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lie — to recline
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wind — moving air
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chip — for betting

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