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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · arm · mug · fall · pass · branch · saw · dip

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fall — the season
  4. mug — a cup
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. file — a line of people
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. branch — a division
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fall — to drop
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mug — a face
  17. file — a document
  18. saw — the tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mug — to rob
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. file — a tool
  24. branch — of a tree

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