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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. snap — to click
  3. file — a document
  4. fall — the season
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bank — of a river
  7. plane — a tool
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fall — to drop
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bank — for money
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. roll — a list
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fall — to drop
  24. plane — in geometry

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