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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bowl · branch · file · bark · wave · bear · mine · lie

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. file — a document
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bear — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lie — to recline
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bark — of a tree

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