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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. branch — a division
  3. pop — music
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pop — to visit
  7. ball — a dance
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pop — soda
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. shower — rain
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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