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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bank — for money
  3. rest — a break
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rest — what's left
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. file — a document
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. sharp — clever
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bank — for money
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tube — a container
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. track — a song

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