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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — the fish
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. can — a tin
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. row — a line
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bank — of a river
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bass — low music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — to paddle
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mate — a partner
  24. file — a document

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