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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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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bank — for money
  4. wound — an injury
  5. file — a document
  6. rule — government
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rule — a law
  9. file — a tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bank — for money
  14. pop — music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bound — obliged
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pop — soda
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pop — to visit

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