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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: bank · tube · pass · tear · squash · file · net · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. net — for catching
  3. tube — a container
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — the sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bank — for money
  12. pass — a permit
  13. net — in sport
  14. bank — of a river
  15. file — a line of people
  16. tear — to rip
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. file — a tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. file — a document
  24. pass — to spend time

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