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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. branch — a division
  3. drill — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. drill — army training
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. firm — decided
  8. ball — a great time
  9. firm — steady
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. tear — to rip
  13. firm — a company
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. saw — the tool
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. drill — a practice
  18. content — happy
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lie — to recline
  23. content — the amount
  24. tear — from crying

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