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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 120 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 · fork · branch · current · deal · fan · rush · lie

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. firm — a company
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. branch — a division
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. current — of water
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. firm — steady
  17. fork — in a road
  18. current — electric
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. current — happening now
  22. firm — decided
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lie — to recline

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