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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bank — for money
  4. tube — a container
  5. file — a document
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bank — of a river
  14. track — to keep track
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving 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