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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. charge — in control
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. tear — to rip
  8. charge — a price
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bore — to tire
  11. branch — a division
  12. tear — from crying
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. dip — to sink
  16. season — in sport
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. lie — to recline
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  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