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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bank — for money
  3. date — the fruit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — of a river
  8. track — a song
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. file — a document
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. snap — to click
  14. lean — thin
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. track — a path
  20. file — a tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lean — to bend
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. date — on the calendar

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