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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.

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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: branch · file · current · last · content · mug · lie · perch

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. last — finally
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mug — to rob
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. current — of water
  9. file — a tool
  10. current — electric
  11. mug — a face
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mug — a cup
  15. file — a line of people
  16. last — to go on
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. branch — a division
  19. file — a document
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. last — final
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. current — happening now
  24. lie — an untruth

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