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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: wave · bank · net · cabinet · pound · bulb · root · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bank — for money
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. root — of a word
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. root — of a plant
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — in sport
  18. file — a tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. root — the cause
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pound — a weight

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