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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: file · drill · bay · pop · spring · saw · board · branch

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. board — a committee
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. drill — the tool
  5. file — a document
  6. spring — the season
  7. drill — army training
  8. pop — music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. branch — a division
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pop — to visit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. board — to get on
  21. spring — of water
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. file — a tool
  24. pop — soda

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