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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: file · branch · mug · bat · lie · fork · pop · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lie — to recline
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a tool
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pop — soda
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. tube — a container
  20. file — a document
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mug — a face

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