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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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. drill — army training
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. game — wild animals
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fall — the season
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. prune — to trim
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. drill — a practice
  20. chip — to eat
  21. drill — the tool
  22. game — a match
  23. bass — low music
  24. lie — an untruth

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