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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 116 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 · bound · kick · nail · land · file · bass · face

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. file — a document
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bound — certain
  5. kick — in football
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. file — a line of people
  8. face — part of the head
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bass — low music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bound — tied together
  14. land — a country
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — to confront
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. file — a tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. land — to come down
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. face — to point toward
  24. land — ground

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