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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ground — a position
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. file — a tool
  5. object — to protest
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ground — the earth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — a division
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. object — a thing
  13. bank — for money
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a document
  18. ground — crushed
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fine — high quality
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — all right
  24. object — an aim

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