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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: hide · saw · bear · branch · bowl · file · snap · current

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. file — a line of people
  6. branch — a division
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bear — the animal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. snap — to click
  15. current — happening now
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. file — a tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. file — a document

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