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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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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: file · kick · bank · sharp · cabinet · hand · fork · ruler

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bank — for money
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — for money
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. file — a tool
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fork — in a road
  18. file — a document
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. sharp — clever
  21. file — a line of people
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. kick — in football
  24. bank — of a river

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