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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. file — a tool
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. current — happening now
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. last — to go on
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — of water
  12. last — final
  13. file — a line of people
  14. current — electric
  15. cell — a phone
  16. last — finally
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cell — in biology
  20. branch — a division
  21. file — a document
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to click
  24. lie — an untruth

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