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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: bound · cabinet · file · charge · present · branch · wake · nail

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. file — a tool
  13. present — there
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. charge — a price
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. present — the time now
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. charge — electricity
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. branch — a division
  23. wake — a trail
  24. file — a document

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