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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: wave · nail · ball · face · branch · lash · chip · file

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. file — a line of people
  3. face — to point toward
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. face — to confront
  7. file — a document
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. file — a tool
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. face — part of the head
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ball — a dance

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