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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 120 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 · rule · wound · staff · vault · sharp · mark · branch

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. file — a document
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — a division
  6. file — a line of people
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rule — a law
  17. staff — a stick
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. file — a tool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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