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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: branch · pass · racket · spell · trunk · saw · season · file

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. spell — magic
  6. file — a tool
  7. pass — a permit
  8. file — a line of people
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. branch — a division
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spell — letters
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spell — a short time
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. file — a document
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. season — of the year
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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