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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wake — a trail
  3. file — a line of people
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. file — a document
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — in sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bank — of a river
  11. net — for catching
  12. branch — a division
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. content — the amount
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — happy
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. file — a tool
  21. net — after costs
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. nail — on a finger

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