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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wind — moving air
  4. file — a document
  5. bank — for money
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. march — the month
  8. file — a line of people
  9. can — a tin
  10. mate — to breed
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mate — a friend
  14. march — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fall — to drop
  19. march — the month
  20. file — a tool
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chip — for betting
  23. can — a tin
  24. fall — the season

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