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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: racket · rush · branch · band · tear · file · root · pass

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. root — the cause
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. root — of a plant
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rush — hurry
  9. branch — a division
  10. file — a document
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. file — a line of people
  14. band — a ring
  15. tear — from crying
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tear — to rip
  18. band — a music group
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. root — of a word
  24. rush — to hurry

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