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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cue — for pool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — to recline
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — in football
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. roll — a list
  13. march — music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lie — an untruth

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