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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.

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: rush · bank · fine · wind · bulb · calf · file · bark

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. file — a tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fine — high quality
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fine — all right
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — moving air
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. file — a document
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wind — moving air

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