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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: land · file · rash · kid · dip · squash · rock · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rock — music
  3. kid — child
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. kid — to tease
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rash — hasty
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rash — a series
  12. land — ground
  13. bank — for money
  14. land — a country
  15. bank — of a river
  16. file — a document
  17. squash — the sport
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rock — a stone
  20. file — a line of people
  21. land — to come down
  22. file — a tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rash — on the skin

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