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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 · jam · staff · fan · bore · branch · mate · file

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. file — a line of people
  3. branch — a division
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. file — a tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. staff — a stick
  13. file — a document
  14. bore — to tire
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mate — to breed
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. saw — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. jam — in traffic

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