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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. file — a tool
  3. charge — a price
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. tear — from crying
  8. land — a country
  9. bank — of a river
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a music group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. band — a ring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tear — from crying
  16. charge — in control
  17. tear — to rip
  18. land — to come down
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — electricity
  22. land — ground
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a rubber band

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