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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.

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: squash · bore · stick · leaves · band · branch · face · file

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. face — to confront
  4. squash — to crush
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. band — a music group
  8. branch — a division
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bore — to drill
  13. band — a ring
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bore — to tire
  20. squash — the sport
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. file — a document
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bore — gave birth

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