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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 120 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
468
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: pound · branch · bowl · wake · safe · fan · file · lie

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. file — a document
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pound — a weight
  18. lie — to recline
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  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