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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. key — in music
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. charge — a price
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fall — the season
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. land — to come down
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — to drop
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. key — the most important part
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — for a lock
  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