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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pit — in a race
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — a company
  10. pit — a hole
  11. firm — steady
  12. file — a tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bank — of a river
  15. firm — decided
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wake — a trail
  20. file — a document
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. wake — before a funeral

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