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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.

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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: wake · bank · tear · rush · file · branch · pit · hand

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. file — a line of people
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. file — a tool
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bank — for money
  15. pit — a hole
  16. file — a document
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. branch — a division
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. hand — help

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