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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: file · branch · date · mark · present · rush · rash · lean

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mark — a grade
  7. file — a document
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lean — thin
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rash — hasty
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. file — a tool
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mark — a trace
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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