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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. file — a document
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. file — a tool
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. row — a line
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bank — of a river

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