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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: file · wake · perch · deal · pound · branch · lie · hand

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. file — a document
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pound — a weight
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. branch — a division
  18. lie — to recline
  19. file — a tool
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wake — a trail
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. hand — help

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