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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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Word bank
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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: kick · sharp · field · leaves · file · staff · bulb · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bank — for money
  4. field — farmland
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a tool
  8. kick — in football
  9. field — a subject
  10. staff — employees
  11. file — a document
  12. staff — a stick
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bank — of a river
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. staff — employees
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. field — for sport
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. file — a line of people

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