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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. branch — a division
  3. file — a line of people
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. file — a document
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. rock — music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wake — a trail
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chair — a leader

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