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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 · object · lie · branch · shower · rock · track · clip

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. track — a song
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. object — a thing
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — to keep track
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lie — to recline
  16. shower — to wash
  17. branch — a division
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. shower — rain
  21. rock — music
  22. object — to protest
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. track — a path

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