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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. date — the fruit
  3. file — a tool
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bank — of a river
  9. tear — to rip
  10. file — a line of people
  11. tear — from crying
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. shower — rain
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pop — soda
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. tear — from crying
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. ruler — for measuring

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