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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — a division
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bark — to shout
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cap — a hat
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. spell — magic
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. last — final
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. spell — letters
  18. band — a music group
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. band — a ring
  21. lie — to recline
  22. last — finally
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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