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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. bank — for money
  2. rock — a stone
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. file — a tool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. current — electric
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wave — with your hand
  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