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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 120 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: trunk · mine · net · charge · branch · lie · rule · file

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. net — for catching
  3. rule — a law
  4. file — a document
  5. net — in sport
  6. charge — in control
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. branch — a division
  11. lie — to recline
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — for digging
  15. file — a line of people
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. file — a tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. charge — a price
  24. net — after costs

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