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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 · band · lean · bank · board · saw · rock · deal

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — to get on
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bank — of a river
  6. board — a committee
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — thin
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lean — to bend
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rock — music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. band — a music group
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. band — a ring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rock — to move gently

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