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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.

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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: branch · vault · foot · fan · mark · file · season · board

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. season — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. file — a line of people
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mark — a grade
  10. foot — a measure
  11. season — of the year
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. file — a tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. file — a document
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. board — a committee
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a trace

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