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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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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: suit · bay · wind · stem · last · bank · file · wake

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a document
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. last — to go on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. last — final
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bank — of a river
  12. file — a tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — finally
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stem — of a plant

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