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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 120 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: lie · branch · tear · safe · hand · bay · plane · rule

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rule — government
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. plane — a tool
  7. branch — a division
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rule — a law
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hand — in cards
  17. tear — from crying
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — help
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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