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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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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: mine · firm · branch · toast · game · track · lie · spell

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. track — a path
  3. game — a match
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mine — for digging
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. firm — decided
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. game — wild animals
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. spell — letters
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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