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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. charge — electricity
  5. file — a line of people
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. file — a tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. file — a document
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. wake — a trail
  15. charge — a price
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. charge — in control
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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