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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cap — a lid
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. branch — a division
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stock — goods
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bound — certain
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stock — shares
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cold — an illness

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