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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. squash — to crush
  3. last — to go on
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pass — a permit
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. last — final
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — all right
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. last — finally
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — for digging
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. branch — a division

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