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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · spell · bound · bank · mouse · file · bark · chest

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bound — certain
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rash — a series
  11. file — a document
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. bound — obliged
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bank — for money
  24. bark — to shout

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