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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. face — to point toward
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. saw — the tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. craft — a skill
  13. band — a music group
  14. bank — for money
  15. band — a ring
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. file — a line of people
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. file — a document
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. trunk — of a tree

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