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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. spell — magic
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spell — letters
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. staff — employees
  12. rock — music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. staff — employees
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. spell — a short time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. staff — a stick
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — an explosive

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