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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · branch · foot · fall · lie · march · game · leaves

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. branch — a division
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fall — the season
  7. lie — to recline
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. foot — a measure
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. march — music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. game — a match
  14. bank — of a river
  15. march — the month
  16. bank — for money
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fall — to drop
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. game — wild animals
  22. march — the month
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bank — for money

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