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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. club — a group
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. file — a tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bank — for money
  11. plane — a tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bank — for money
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. file — a line of people
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. club — for golf
  19. bank — of a river
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. file — a document
  24. dip — to dunk

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