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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: date · lie · roll · face · spell · ruler · dip · branch

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. face — part of the head
  3. spell — letters
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. spell — a short time
  6. branch — a division
  7. date — the fruit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. face — to point toward
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. roll — a cake
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. face — to confront
  15. spell — magic
  16. roll — a list
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. lie — to recline
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ruler — for measuring

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