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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · firm · mate · file · branch · drill · last · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. file — a document
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. drill — the tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. file — a line of people
  9. firm — a company
  10. last — final
  11. mate — to breed
  12. drill — a practice
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. last — finally
  18. file — a tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. branch — a division
  21. mate — a partner
  22. last — to go on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. drill — army training

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