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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: fan · rush · can · date · chest · bank · roll · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. roll — a cake
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bank — for money
  12. rush — hurry
  13. can — a tin
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. chest — a box
  18. date — the fruit
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fan — a supporter

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