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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: bank · swing · shower · rest · mouse · calf · mine · file

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. file — a document
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — in golf
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. swing — to play on
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. file — a tool
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mine — for digging
  14. swing — music
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rest — a break
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rest — what's left

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