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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — for catching
  3. rock — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. net — after costs
  6. drill — army training
  7. net — in sport
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. drill — the tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lie — to recline
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. squash — the sport
  24. trunk — of a car

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