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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cell — in biology
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — a division
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. scale — size or range
  10. drill — a practice
  11. face — to confront
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cell — a phone
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. scale — in music
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fork — a garden tool

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