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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
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: cabinet · track · bank · kick · squash · spring · bark · file

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. file — a document
  4. track — to keep track
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bank — of a river
  7. file — a tool
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. track — a path
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — a coil
  21. kick — in football
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. squash — to crush
  24. track — a song

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