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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 116 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: can · dip · fork · fan · spring · file · staff · bank

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a document
  5. can — a tin
  6. file — a tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bank — for money
  9. staff — employees
  10. spring — of water
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. staff — a stick
  13. spring — the season
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. file — a line of people
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. can — to be able to
  24. dip — to sink

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