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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: hide · file · bore · scale · prune · season · march · bank

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bore — to drill
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. march — the month
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — of the year
  12. prune — to trim
  13. march — the month
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. season — in sport
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. file — a document
  20. march — music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. file — a tool
  24. scale — in music

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