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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.

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: temple · fork · wound · branch · lie · pop · file · bass

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. bass — low music
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. file — a tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pop — soda
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. file — a document
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pop — music
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pop — to visit
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  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