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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: scale · chip · row · current · file · rush · leaves · branch

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. current — happening now
  3. file — a tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. chip — for betting
  6. row — to paddle
  7. scale — size or range
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. current — electric
  12. scale — in music
  13. rush — hurry
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. file — a document
  16. current — of water
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. chip — to eat
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. file — a line of people
  22. row — a line
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. branch — of a tree

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