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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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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 · fall · snap · face · court · branch · mark

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. prune — to trim
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fall — the season
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. face — part of the head
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lie — to recline
  10. snap — to click
  11. fall — to drop
  12. court — of law
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — for sport
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. court — of a king
  19. mark — a grade
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. face — to confront

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