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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: can · firm · branch · ball · drill · patient · lie · file

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. file — a document
  6. lie — to recline
  7. branch — a division
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. drill — the tool
  15. firm — steady
  16. drill — a practice
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a dance
  20. drill — army training
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. file — a line of people

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