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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: cabinet · wave · band · file · branch · staff · leaves · board

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. branch — a division
  7. band — a ring
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. board — a committee
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. band — a music group
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. file — a tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cabinet — ministers

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