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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: stock · lie · drill · file · bay · row · land · branch

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. file — a line of people
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stock — goods
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. land — ground
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — a country
  14. file — a document
  15. land — to come down
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stock — shares
  18. row — to paddle
  19. file — a tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. row — a line
  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