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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.

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: bank · file · pop · snap · mine · current · stand · lie

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. file — a document
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pop — to visit
  8. snap — to click
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bank — for money
  13. current — electric
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pop — music
  17. current — of water
  18. pop — soda
  19. stand — to bear
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. lie — to recline

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