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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 116 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
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: file · season · mug · snap · deal · branch · cold · board

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. file — a tool
  4. season — in sport
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. deal — to handle
  7. board — a committee
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. branch — a division
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. board — to get on
  12. mug — to rob
  13. file — a document
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mug — a cup
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cold — not warm
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mug — a face
  24. cold — an illness

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