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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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Word bank
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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: spring · stick · branch · lie · pit · drill · chair · saw

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. drill — army training
  4. spring — of water
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spring — the season
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. drill — a practice
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. branch — a division
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chair — a leader
  20. drill — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pit — a hole
  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