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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: branch · mine · hide · file · bore · wave · season · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. net — in sport
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. season — of the year
  9. branch — a division
  10. season — in sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. net — for catching
  13. file — a document
  14. net — after costs
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. file — a tool
  22. mine — for digging
  23. branch — of a bank
  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