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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 116 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: game · face · drill · file · coach · hide · branch · track

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a line of people
  6. drill — army training
  7. track — a song
  8. file — a tool
  9. face — part of the head
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. track — to keep track
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. game — a match
  18. file — a document
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. track — a path
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. coach — a trainer

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