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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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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: lie · branch · file · cue · spell · degree · last · roll

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. last — final
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. file — a line of people
  5. roll — a cake
  6. last — finally
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. roll — a list
  10. cue — for pool
  11. file — a tool
  12. spell — magic
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. degree — an amount
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. spell — letters
  19. branch — a division
  20. last — to go on
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. spell — a short time
  23. degree — from a university
  24. file — a document

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