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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · staff · row · dip · bank · land · hand

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. land — ground
  6. bank — for money
  7. dip — to sink
  8. file — a tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fork — in a road
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bank — for money
  19. row — a line
  20. hand — help
  21. staff — employees
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — to paddle

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