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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fall — the season
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. snap — to click
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. scale — in music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. firm — decided
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. firm — a company
  21. lie — to recline
  22. firm — steady
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wind — moving air

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