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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wind — moving air
  3. drill — army training
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — a partner
  11. drill — the tool
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mate — a friend
  16. branch — a division
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rest — a break
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bat — for baseball

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