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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. file — a document
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wind — moving air
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — to crush
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rest — a break

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