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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. can — a tin
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mate — to breed
  14. prune — to trim
  15. object — to protest
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. object — a thing
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mate — a partner
  22. file — a line of people
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bank — of a river

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