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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 120 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
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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: club · game · squash · snap · file · plane · mark · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. file — a tool
  8. branch — a division
  9. mark — a trace
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. file — a document
  16. snap — to click
  17. squash — the sport
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mark — a grade
  20. club — for golf
  21. file — a line of people
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. plane — a tool
  24. squash — to crush

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