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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pit — in a race
  4. drill — a practice
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rash — a series
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. branch — a division
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wound — an injury
  13. drill — army training
  14. lie — to recline
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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