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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: firm · branch · lie · chair · stick · bark · shower · cabinet

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — to shout
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. branch — a division
  9. firm — a company
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. firm — steady
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. shower — rain
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — decided
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. lie — an untruth

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