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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. can — a tin
  3. lie — to recline
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. season — of the year
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — a path
  13. ball — a great time
  14. can — to be able to
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. track — a song
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. season — in sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. branch — of a bank

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