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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: nail · dip · rule · branch · wake · rest · lie · band

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. lie — to recline
  7. band — a ring
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rest — a break
  11. rule — government
  12. branch — a division
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rule — a law
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wake — before a funeral

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