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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · chest · saw · root · hide · bank · ball · pitcher

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. file — a line of people
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — of a word
  14. saw — the tool
  15. root — of a plant
  16. file — a tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chest — a box
  19. saw — the tool
  20. file — a document
  21. ball — a dance
  22. root — the cause
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bank — of a river

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