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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 · can · hide · game · bank · mine · rush · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rush — hurry
  5. shower — to wash
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bank — for money
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. can — a tin
  13. shower — rain
  14. can — a tin
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. file — a tool
  18. game — a match
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bank — of a river
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bank — for money

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