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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. rock — music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pop — soda
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bank — for money
  11. drill — army training
  12. file — a tool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. file — a document
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. charge — a price
  19. wake — a trail
  20. charge — in control
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. arm — part of the body
  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