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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: file · bay · present · cabinet · branch · sharp · band · snap

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. band — a music group
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. file — a document
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — the time now
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. sharp — clever
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. file — a tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. snap — to click
  24. file — a line of people

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