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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — to protest
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cold — an illness
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. staff — a stick
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — a series
  14. staff — employees
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. object — an aim
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rash — hasty
  20. object — a thing
  21. lie — to recline
  22. staff — employees
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — a division

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