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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. branch — a division
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rock — music
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rock — a stone
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bound — certain
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wind — moving air
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mark — a trace

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