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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.

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: snap · file · squash · branch · mine · staff · march · bowl

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. file — a tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. file — a document
  5. march — music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. staff — employees
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. file — a line of people
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. staff — employees
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. squash — the sport
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. mine — an explosive

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