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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. present — there
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — of your body
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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