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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: bank · fan · suit · present · wax · file · leaves · rash

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. present — there
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. suit — clothes
  8. present — the time now
  9. wax — to grow
  10. suit — in cards
  11. file — a tool
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bank — for money
  17. present — a gift
  18. file — a document
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rash — a series
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. file — a line of people

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