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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.

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: leaves · file · branch · swing · mine · bowl · march · board

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. board — a committee
  3. march — the month
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. swing — to play on
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. swing — in golf
  11. board — to get on
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. march — music
  21. file — a line of people
  22. swing — music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. file — a tool

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