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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. march — the month
  4. net — for catching
  5. bank — for money
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bank — for money
  8. branch — a division
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bank — of a river
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — hurry
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. march — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a line of people
  19. net — after costs
  20. file — a tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a document

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