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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lie — to recline
  3. tube — the underground
  4. last — finally
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. dip — to sink
  7. track — to keep track
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. branch — a division
  11. plane — a tool
  12. last — final
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. track — a path
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. track — a song
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — a container

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