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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lie — to recline
  6. branch — a division
  7. tear — to rip
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a dance
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. tear — from crying
  17. roll — a list
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rest — what's left
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — to pay attention

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