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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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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: file · rush · squash · scale · capital · lie · bank · deal

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. scale — size or range
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — to recline
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. file — a document
  14. deal — to handle
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. scale — in music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. file — a tool

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