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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. shower — to wash
  5. can — a tin
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stand — to bear
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. shower — rain
  16. file — a tool
  17. bound — certain
  18. bank — of a river
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. file — a document
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bound — obliged
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — a tin

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