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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: rest · cell · foot · rash · file · wound · bank · dip

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cell — in biology
  6. dip — to sink
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wound — an injury
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — a series
  18. bank — for money
  19. file — a document
  20. rash — hasty
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. dip — a sauce

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