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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 120 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: cabinet · bank · mine · content · fall · saw · current · row

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bank — of a river
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fall — to drop
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bank — for money
  8. content — the amount
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. current — electric
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. current — of water
  20. bank — for money
  21. saw — the tool
  22. current — happening now
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. content — happy

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