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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: cold · band · track · rock · rush · bank · file · bound

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. track — a song
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rock — a stone
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bound — certain
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. track — a path
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bank — for money
  20. band — a music group
  21. file — a document
  22. rock — music
  23. file — a tool
  24. bank — for money

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