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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. track — a path
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mug — a cup
  6. craft — boats
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a tool
  9. current — electric
  10. band — a music group
  11. track — to keep track
  12. current — happening now
  13. mug — to rob
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. craft — a skill
  19. track — a song
  20. band — a ring
  21. bank — for money
  22. file — a document
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. current — of water

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