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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. file — a document
  3. bank — of a river
  4. file — a tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rock — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rock — a stone

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