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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: lash · file · toast · object · pit · land · branch · staff

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. object — to protest
  3. staff — a stick
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. file — a tool
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. staff — employees
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. file — a line of people
  17. object — an aim
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. land — to come down
  21. pit — in a race
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. object — a thing

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