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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: file · spell · bear · fan · present · content · stand · branch

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. file — a line of people
  4. spell — letters
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. file — a document
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. spell — magic
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. spell — a short time
  20. present — the time now
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. branch — a division

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