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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bound — certain
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. branch — a division
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. clip — for paper
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bound — tied together
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rest — a break
  19. clip — a video
  20. rest — what's left
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. sharp — clever

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