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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: charge · mate · stock · branch · pass · file · saw · arm

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. mate — a friend
  7. charge — a price
  8. mate — a partner
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. charge — electricity
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mate — to breed
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pass — a permit
  23. branch — a division
  24. charge — in control

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