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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. row — a line
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. row — to paddle
  9. stand — to bear
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fine — all right
  14. net — in sport
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. net — for catching
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. net — after costs
  20. clip — a video
  21. rest — a break
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — a division

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