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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 116 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.

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: fall · drill · dip · trunk · fine · swing · branch · lie

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fine — all right
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fall — to drop
  11. drill — army training
  12. fine — high quality
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. branch — a division
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. swing — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. swing — to play on
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lie — to recline

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