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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: date · degree · charge · spring · branch · leaves · saw · file

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. file — a tool
  4. degree — an amount
  5. file — a document
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — electricity
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. charge — a price
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. date — the fruit
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. spring — a coil
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. degree — from a university
  20. saw — the tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. degree — temperature
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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