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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: bank · file · field · bay · lie · bass · temple · present

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. field — for sport
  3. bank — of a river
  4. field — a subject
  5. bank — for money
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. file — a document
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. file — a line of people
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. present — the time now
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. present — a gift
  17. field — farmland
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. lie — to recline
  21. present — there
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bank — for money
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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