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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. object — to protest
  5. rest — what's left
  6. branch — a division
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — an aim
  9. march — the month
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — the animal
  13. object — a thing
  14. rest — a break
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lie — to recline
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bat — in an idiom

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