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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: cold · staff · mouse · saw · temple · bank · file · bound

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bound — obliged
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bank — for money
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — certain
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. staff — employees
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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