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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: roll · sharp · file · band · bank · bay · tear · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. roll — a list
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bank — for money
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. band — a music group
  10. roll — a cake
  11. file — a document
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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