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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · bowl · lie · file · key · bear · branch · chest

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. key — in music
  4. file — a tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chest — a box
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. file — a document
  21. bear — the animal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. key — the most important part
  24. branch — a division

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