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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 120 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: bay · file · branch · tube · temple · band · wound · fan

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. tube — the underground
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. file — a tool
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wound — an injury
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. branch — a division
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. band — a ring
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wound — an injury
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. file — a document
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. tube — a container
  22. band — a music group
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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