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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: fall · trunk · file · net · rash · row · bank · present

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. present — a gift
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. row — a line
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rash — a series
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. file — a document
  14. fall — to drop
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fall — to drop
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fall — the season
  20. present — there
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — the time now
  23. rash — hasty
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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