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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: lie · present · object · snap · row · pit · branch · pop

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. row — to paddle
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pop — music
  5. present — a gift
  6. object — a thing
  7. row — a line
  8. pop — to visit
  9. object — to protest
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. object — an aim
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. branch — a division
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — soda
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. branch — of a tree

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