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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: cell · file · charge · date · pop · lie · rash · branch

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. file — a line of people
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a tool
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. branch — a division
  9. pop — soda
  10. file — a document
  11. pop — music
  12. cell — in biology
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. lie — to recline
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cell — a phone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rash — hasty
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rash — on the skin

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