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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. lean — to bend
  4. field — a subject
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. file — a document
  7. track — a path
  8. lean — thin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. file — a tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bank — for money
  14. field — farmland
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. track — to keep track
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — a song
  23. field — for sport
  24. date — on the calendar

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