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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: board · calf · dip · fan · branch · face · file · mug

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mug — to rob
  5. file — a document
  6. mug — a face
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. branch — a division
  9. mug — a cup
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. face — to confront
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. face — to point toward
  15. dip — to sink
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. file — a tool
  19. board — to get on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — part of the head

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