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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: club · rash · rock · file · tube · dip · bank · last

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. club — a group
  4. tube — a container
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — for dancing
  9. last — finally
  10. club — for golf
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. last — final
  14. bank — of a river
  15. file — a document
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. file — a tool
  19. last — to go on
  20. rock — music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rock — a stone
  23. tube — the underground
  24. dip — to dunk

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