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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · mine · lie · fan · pass · chair · firm · degree

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chair — a leader
  6. firm — a company
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. branch — a division
  15. firm — decided
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. degree — temperature
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. firm — steady

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