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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: deal · pit · trunk · snap · bank · file · track · fall

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. track — a song
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. track — a path
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bank — of a river
  8. file — a line of people
  9. deal — to handle
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pit — in a race
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bank — for money
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. snap — to click
  18. bank — for money
  19. file — a document
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pit — a hole
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  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