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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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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: fine · file · tube · bear · scale · bank · jam · lie

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. tube — the underground
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bank — for money
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. file — a document
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. scale — in music
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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