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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · branch · content · file · saw · temple · court · lie

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. file — a document
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. court — of law
  7. content — the amount
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. file — a tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. lie — to recline
  13. court — for sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. file — a line of people
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — happy
  19. court — of a king
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. saw — the tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. branch — of a tree

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