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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ground — a position
  3. bank — for money
  4. current — of water
  5. lie — to recline
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ground — the earth
  9. march — music
  10. content — happy
  11. march — the month
  12. file — a tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. can — to be able to
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. current — happening now
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — electric
  22. content — the amount
  23. march — the month
  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