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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: saw · rest · branch · lean · file · nail · field · hide

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — the tool
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. file — a document
  12. saw — the tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. file — a tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. lean — thin
  24. branch — a division

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