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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: rash · band · file · bank · mark · object · nail · fork

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mark — a trace
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a line of people
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. file — a document
  16. object — an aim
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. band — a ring
  21. rash — a series
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. band — a music group
  24. nail — for a hammer

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