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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. land — a country
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bank — for money
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. file — a tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mate — a partner
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. land — to come down
  18. bound — obliged
  19. land — ground
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mate — to breed

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