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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. track — a song
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. file — a tool
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — a country
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. file — a document
  20. bank — of a river
  21. track — a path
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — for money

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