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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lie — to recline
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mate — a partner
  11. date — the fruit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rash — a series
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mate — a friend
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. lie — an untruth

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