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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. shower — rain
  3. mate — a friend
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mate — to breed
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. shower — to wash
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stock — shares
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. lie — to recline
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stock — goods
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mate — a partner
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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