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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: rest · row · tube · bank · date · file · bound · ruler

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. file — a document
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a line
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. tube — a container
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. file — a line of people
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. file — a tool
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bound — obliged

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