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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.

Make a worksheet

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: branch · file · last · row · ball · dip · wind · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. file — a document
  4. ball — a dance
  5. face — to confront
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. file — a line of people
  9. row — to paddle
  10. branch — a division
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. last — final
  13. ball — a great time
  14. last — finally
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. file — a tool
  17. row — a line
  18. wind — moving air
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. dip — to sink
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wind — moving air
  23. last — to go on
  24. row — a quarrel

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