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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: object · branch · fall · fan · stand · lie · rush · last

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. object — a thing
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lie — to recline
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. object — to protest
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. object — an aim
  24. last — finally

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