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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. file — a tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. land — to come down
  6. can — to be able to
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. firm — a company
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. firm — decided
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. date — the fruit
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. firm — steady
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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