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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: leaves · branch · dip · board · perch · file · bore · pop

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. file — a tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pop — soda
  6. bore — to drill
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. file — a document
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. branch — a division
  17. board — to get on
  18. bore — to tire
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. file — a line of people

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