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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 120 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: staff · ruler · branch · file · firm · stand · bark · cabinet

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. staff — employees
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. file — a document
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. firm — steady
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. firm — a company
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. file — a tool
  23. firm — decided
  24. ruler — for measuring

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