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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. file — a document
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bound — tied together
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. bulb — for light
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — for money
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. file — a tool
  24. wind — moving air

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