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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. vault — a safe
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kid — to tease
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wind — moving air
  20. kid — child
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wind — moving air

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