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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: fork · leaves · file · bank · march · temple · saw · firm

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. march — music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. file — a line of people
  9. saw — the tool
  10. firm — steady
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — in a road
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. march — the month

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