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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · spring · rock · rush · bank · hide · swing · file

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spring — the season
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spring — a coil
  8. file — a line of people
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bank — for money
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. file — a document
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spring — of water
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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