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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: mark · file · branch · object · drill · leaves · game · charge

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. file — a tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. object — an aim
  5. file — a document
  6. game — a match
  7. charge — in control
  8. game — wild animals
  9. file — a line of people
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. drill — the tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. drill — army training
  18. object — a thing
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. drill — a practice
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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