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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — to crush
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bank — of a river
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. file — a tool
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a line of people
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a line
  12. key — in music
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. key — for a lock
  16. drill — a practice
  17. row — to paddle
  18. drill — army training
  19. tear — from crying
  20. key — the most important part
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a document
  24. squash — the sport

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