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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. suit — in cards
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lie — to recline
  9. clip — to cut
  10. staff — a stick
  11. branch — a division
  12. clip — a video
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. staff — employees
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. clip — for paper
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. suit — clothes
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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