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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 120 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: tube · branch · fall · club · nail · pass · temple · file

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pass — a permit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. file — a document
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. file — a tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fall — the season
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. branch — a division
  22. fall — to drop
  23. club — for dancing
  24. branch — of a bank

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