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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 116 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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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: branch · face · file · present · prune · bowl · cabinet · deal

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. file — a line of people
  6. prune — to trim
  7. face — to point toward
  8. branch — a division
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — to trim
  11. deal — to handle
  12. present — a gift
  13. file — a tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. present — the time now
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. file — a document
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. bowl — a dish

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