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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. branch — a division
  3. root — of a plant
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. clip — a video
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rash — a series
  8. root — of a word
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. root — the cause
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pitch — completely
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bowl — a dish

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