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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 116 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: pitcher · lie · clip · saw · fork · branch · rule · firm

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rule — a law
  5. firm — decided
  6. clip — a video
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. firm — steady
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rule — government
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. branch — a division
  15. saw — the tool
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. firm — a company
  19. lie — to recline
  20. saw — the tool
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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