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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 · wound · plane · branch · charge · stand · bark · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. branch — a division
  4. plane — a tool
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bark — to shout
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a line of people
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. charge — in control
  15. wound — an injury
  16. file — a document
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. charge — electricity
  19. file — a tool
  20. charge — a price
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stand — to bear

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