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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: swing · file · key · face · kick · patient · branch · season

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. file — a line of people
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. key — for a lock
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. file — a tool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. swing — music
  12. kick — in football
  13. swing — in golf
  14. branch — a division
  15. season — in sport
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. key — the most important part
  19. swing — to play on
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. face — part of the head
  22. file — a document
  23. key — in music
  24. patient — a sick person

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