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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. track — a song
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ground — the earth
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wound — an injury
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — a stone
  14. board — to get on
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ground — a position
  18. track — a path
  19. lie — to recline
  20. ground — crushed
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — music

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