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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.

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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 · prune · bay · mark · rest · bulb · branch · face

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. prune — to trim
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. face — to confront
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — for light
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mark — a grade

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