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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bark — to shout
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. club — a group
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — for golf
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — of water
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hand — help
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. spring — a coil
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. club — for dancing
  24. spring — the season

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