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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. dip — to sink
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lie — to recline
  19. branch — a division
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cell — in biology

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