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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. capital — money
  6. branch — a division
  7. lie — to recline
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. capital — a city
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — a trail

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