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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 116 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 · fan · fine · rock · cabinet · file · tear · pit

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rock — music
  6. file — a document
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fine — all right
  10. file — a tool
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. tear — to rip
  13. branch — a division
  14. file — a line of people
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fan — a supporter

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