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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. track — a path
  3. saw — the tool
  4. file — a tool
  5. object — to protest
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. track — to keep track
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — a division
  13. saw — the tool
  14. object — an aim
  15. track — a song
  16. kick — in football
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. object — a thing
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. kick — with a leg

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