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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · rush · rest · chair · branch · present · file · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. branch — a division
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. file — a tool
  7. rush — hurry
  8. present — there
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bark — to shout
  11. present — a gift
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. file — a document
  18. present — the time now
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. file — a line of people
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rest — a break
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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