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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 116 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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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: lie · bat · rush · bank · plane · patient · spell · file

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. file — a document
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — letters
  7. bank — for money
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — hurry
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spell — magic
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. patient — a sick person

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