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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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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: file · nail · rash · wind · branch · can · jam · bark

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rash — a series
  17. can — a tin
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. branch — a division
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rash — hasty
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. file — a line of people

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