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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. file — a tool
  3. cold — not warm
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cold — an illness
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. can — a tin
  9. firm — decided
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. stock — shares
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bank — for money
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. can — a tin
  23. stock — goods
  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