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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: present · branch · object · shower · saw · stick · lie · rest

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. present — there
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — the tool
  8. object — to protest
  9. shower — to wash
  10. lie — to recline
  11. branch — a division
  12. present — a gift
  13. object — a thing
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. shower — rain
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. object — an aim
  21. present — the time now
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. branch — of a bank

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