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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. file — a tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bank — for money
  8. cold — not warm
  9. charge — in control
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. branch — a division
  13. bank — for money
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cold — an illness
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mate — a partner
  23. charge — electricity
  24. file — a document

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