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

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. file — a line of people
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. file — a document
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — for money
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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