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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · ruler · court · toast · branch · lie · bank · deal

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. court — for sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. court — of a king
  8. branch — a division
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bank — of a river
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bank — for money
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. toast — bread
  17. lie — to recline
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. court — of law
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — a big deal

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