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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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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: toast · branch · vault · chair · kick · rest · file · current

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. file — a line of people
  10. chair — a leader
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. current — happening now
  18. rest — a break
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. toast — bread
  24. branch — a division

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