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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: stick · branch · file · craft · rule · clip · charge · bank

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. charge — electricity
  6. branch — a division
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. file — a tool
  12. bank — of a river
  13. clip — to cut
  14. file — a document
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — for money
  17. craft — a skill
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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