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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: file · charge · branch · board · wake · rash · leaves · current

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. file — a tool
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. board — a committee
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wake — a trail
  12. current — electric
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. charge — electricity
  15. current — happening now
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rash — a series
  19. file — a document
  20. current — of water
  21. board — to get on
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. leaves — to go away

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