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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fork — in a road
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a document
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stock — goods
  15. craft — a skill
  16. file — a tool
  17. shower — rain
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. craft — boats
  22. lean — to bend
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. stock — shares

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