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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: bowl · bank · file · bark · stand · wind · mouse · date

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. file — a document
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. file — a tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wind — moving air
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bank — for money
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bank — for money
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bank — of a river

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