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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cell — in biology
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. object — an aim
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. object — a thing
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. branch — a division
  18. object — to protest
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cell — a phone

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