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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.

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: leaves · bank · tube · current · foot · kick · file · shower

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. foot — a measure
  3. current — happening now
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. shower — to wash
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bank — for money
  10. file — a tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — the underground
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. current — electric
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. current — of water
  21. tube — a container
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. shower — rain

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