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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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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 · file · charge · arm · last · rush · track · roll

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. file — a line of people
  3. track — a song
  4. charge — in control
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. last — final
  7. file — a document
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. file — a tool
  12. charge — a price
  13. rush — hurry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — finally
  16. roll — a list
  17. last — to go on
  18. charge — electricity
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. track — a path
  23. roll — a cake
  24. branch — a division

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