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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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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 · chest · clip · firm · bay · lie · stick · chip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. clip — a video
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. firm — decided
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. clip — to cut
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lie — to recline
  19. firm — steady
  20. clip — for paper
  21. chest — of your body
  22. firm — a company
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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