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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: coach · deal · branch · file · patient · mouse · snap · fork

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fork — in a road
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. file — a tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. branch — a division
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. snap — to click
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. file — a line of people

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