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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: foot · pound · roll · bank · key · wake · hide · file

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. file — a document
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bank — for money
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. roll — a cake
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. file — a line of people
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. key — in music
  18. bank — of a river
  19. file — a tool
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bank — for money
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. key — for a lock

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