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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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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 · roll · craft · wind · court · row · branch · rule

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wind — moving air
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. roll — a list
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. craft — boats
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. roll — a cake
  14. row — a line
  15. rule — a law
  16. court — for sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — government
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. branch — a division
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rule — to rule out

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