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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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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: rush · mine · tube · branch · rest · can · file · chair

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rush — hurry
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. can — a tin
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rest — a break
  12. branch — a division
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. file — a document
  18. tube — the underground
  19. can — a tin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tube — a container
  22. mine — for digging
  23. file — a tool
  24. can — to be able to

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