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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bound — certain
  4. spring — of water
  5. rule — government
  6. lie — to recline
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bound — obliged
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spring — the season
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rule — a law
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bound — tied together

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