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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cell — a phone
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cell — in biology
  8. branch — a division
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. key — in music
  13. clip — a video
  14. season — of the year
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. clip — to cut
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. season — in sport
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. key — the most important part
  23. scale — in music
  24. cell — in a prison

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