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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. can — to be able to
  3. file — a document
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — a tin
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — certain
  12. object — to protest
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rest — a break
  18. object — an aim
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pop — music
  24. object — a thing

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