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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: fine · rule · branch · firm · file · mate · bowl · vault

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. rule — a law
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. mate — a partner
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. firm — a company
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mate — to breed
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rule — government
  14. fine — all right
  15. mate — a friend
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. firm — decided
  18. fine — high quality
  19. file — a document
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. branch — a division
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. firm — steady
  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