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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 120 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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bank — for money
  5. suit — to fit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. game — a match
  10. file — a document
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. band — a music group
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fine — high quality
  15. band — a ring
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bank — for money
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. band — a rubber band

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