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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · file · bank · fine · spell · hand · staff · swing

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a tool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. staff — employees
  6. spell — letters
  7. wind — moving air
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bank — for money
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fine — high quality
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. file — a document
  17. fine — all right
  18. file — a line of people
  19. swing — to play on
  20. hand — help
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wind — moving air
  24. staff — a stick

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