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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: branch · straw · shower · court · mark · file · rash · nail

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rash — a series
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. court — for sport
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. file — a line of people
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. file — a tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mark — a grade
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. court — of a king
  17. shower — rain
  18. branch — a division
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — to wash
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. court — of law
  24. nail — on a finger

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