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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: file · fork · rash · bank · bat · rock · sharp · firm

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. firm — decided
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. file — a tool
  7. firm — steady
  8. rash — a series
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rock — music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bank — for money
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. firm — a company
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bat — the animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. file — a document
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bank — for money
  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