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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. object — to protest
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bank — for money
  10. object — an aim
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mark — a trace
  14. object — a thing
  15. mark — a grade
  16. toast — bread
  17. last — to go on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. file — a tool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. file — a document
  24. bank — for money

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