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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: rock · branch · stand · chip · lie · track · charge · file

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. charge — electricity
  3. file — a line of people
  4. track — a path
  5. file — a document
  6. branch — a division
  7. file — a tool
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. charge — a price
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rock — music
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chip — to eat
  18. charge — in control
  19. chip — for betting
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. track — a song

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