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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: board · bore · leaves · mine · file · branch · spell · can

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. board — to get on
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bore — to drill
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. board — a committee
  12. file — a line of people
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. spell — letters
  15. bore — to tire
  16. file — a tool
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. branch — a division
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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