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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: sharp · bowl · last · pit · lie · lean · branch · rock

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lie — to recline
  4. last — finally
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rock — a stone
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lean — thin
  18. branch — a division
  19. rock — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. last — to go on

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