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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. file — a line of people
  3. present — a gift
  4. fall — the season
  5. file — a tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — of the year
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wind — moving air
  10. present — there
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — in sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. present — the time now
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. saw — the tool
  24. file — a document

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