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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · file · stand · branch · wind · mate · sharp · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bass — the fish
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bass — low music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. file — a document
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. branch — a division
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mate — to breed
  21. wind — moving air
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. file — a tool

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