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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. file — a document
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. track — to keep track
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. net — after costs
  9. file — a tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. date — the fruit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bank — for money
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. net — in sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pound — a weight
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a song
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bank — for money
  23. file — a line of people
  24. track — a path

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