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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 · mine · branch · firm · rule · suit · trunk · sharp

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. file — a tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. rule — government
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rule — a law
  9. sharp — clever
  10. firm — a company
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. suit — clothes
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. file — a document
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mine — for digging
  21. firm — steady
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  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