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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — a division
  11. charge — in control
  12. lie — to recline
  13. charge — a price
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. pit — a hole
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bank — for money
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pit — in a race

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