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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: drill · lie · stick · bear · club · net · rest · branch

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. drill — a practice
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. branch — a division
  15. rest — a break
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. net — after costs
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — what's left
  24. drill — army training

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