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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: lie · branch · dip · cell · rash · file · jam · wound

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. file — a document
  3. rash — a series
  4. cell — a phone
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. file — a tool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. file — a line of people
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lie — to recline
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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