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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bank — of a river
  3. chest — a box
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bank — for money
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. file — a document
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bank — for money

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