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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. file — a document
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wind — moving air
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. snap — to click
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. file — a tool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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