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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 116 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: rash · land · cabinet · cue · rest · branch · file · stock

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rest — a break
  4. file — a tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stock — shares
  7. rash — a series
  8. land — a country
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cue — a signal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cue — a hint
  16. file — a line of people
  17. land — ground
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. branch — a division
  22. land — to come down
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. branch — of a bank

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