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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 · land · chip · safe · rule · temple · branch · trunk

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. land — ground
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chip — for betting
  6. file — a line of people
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rule — government
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rule — a law
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — a country
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. land — to come down
  19. file — a tool
  20. chip — to eat
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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