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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: wound · tube · fan · fine · file · bank · degree · chair

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wound — an injury
  3. tube — a container
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wound — an injury
  7. degree — an amount
  8. tube — the underground
  9. file — a tool
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. file — a document
  13. bank — for money
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fine — all right
  22. bank — for money
  23. fine — high quality
  24. chair — a leader

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