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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. file — a document
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bank — for money
  8. shower — rain
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. root — of a plant
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wake — a trail
  15. shower — to wash
  16. file — a line of people
  17. root — the cause
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. face — part of the head
  20. root — of a word
  21. face — to confront
  22. bank — of a river
  23. file — a tool
  24. face — to point toward

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