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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: calf · file · drill · branch · face · bowl · clip · ball

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. face — to confront
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. drill — a practice
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. clip — a video
  12. file — a document
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. file — a tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. clip — for paper
  22. ball — a dance
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. drill — army training

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