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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.

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: file · nail · hide · arm · date · branch · wave · drill

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. file — a line of people
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. file — a tool
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. date — the fruit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — a division
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. file — a document
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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