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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bank — for money
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. current — happening now
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. current — of water
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — electric
  13. file — a document
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. file — a tool
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. track — a song
  19. tube — a container
  20. track — a path
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fan — to cool the air

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