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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: chip · temple · branch · file · rock · face · snap · board

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. face — part of the head
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. file — a document
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. branch — a division
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. snap — to click
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rock — music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chip — for betting
  24. branch — of a bank

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