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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bank — for money
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. file — a tool
  9. row — a line
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. staff — employees
  12. file — a line of people
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. row — to paddle
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. toast — bread
  21. file — a document
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. nail — for a hammer

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