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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.

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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: bear · file · firm · spell · branch · net · chest · roll

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. spell — letters
  6. file — a tool
  7. firm — a company
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chest — a box
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chest — of your body
  13. net — after costs
  14. firm — decided
  15. net — for catching
  16. branch — a division
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. chest — of your body
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. spell — magic
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. roll — a cake
  24. firm — steady

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