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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 120 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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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: kick · fork · bulb · file · land · cold · bank · pass

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. land — to come down
  3. cold — an illness
  4. fork — in a road
  5. file — a document
  6. pass — a permit
  7. land — ground
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — a country
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fork — to eat with
  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