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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: mouse · kick · file · object · branch · fork · lie · rock

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. object — a thing
  5. file — a document
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rock — music
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — an aim
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. file — a tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a line of people
  22. object — to protest
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lie — to recline

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