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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: shower · mine · bank · file · net · wave · can · current

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. net — for catching
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. current — electric
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. current — of water
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. shower — rain
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. can — to be able to
  18. net — after costs
  19. shower — to wash
  20. current — happening now
  21. file — a document
  22. net — in sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — for digging

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