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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: file · cap · key · wave · chip · mine · foot · bank

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a document
  8. key — in music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chip — for betting
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bank — of a river
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. file — a line of people

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