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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. roll — a cake
  5. file — a document
  6. bank — for money
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chest — a box
  9. bank — of a river
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chest — of your body
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rock — a stone
  14. file — a tool
  15. rock — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. dip — to sink
  22. roll — a list
  23. file — a line of people
  24. leaves — to go away

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