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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · coach · file · press · club · tear

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. press — newspapers
  10. club — a group
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. club — for dancing
  14. press — to push
  15. bank — of a river
  16. press — a publisher
  17. tear — to rip
  18. file — a tool

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