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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 · jam · cabinet · board · ruler · stick · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. board — to get on
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. file — a line of people
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. branch — a division
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. board — a committee
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. branch — of a tree

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