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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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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: firm · file · bank · fork · cap · last · kick · fan

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. firm — steady
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. last — final
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cap — a hat
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cap — a lid
  13. firm — a company
  14. last — to go on
  15. cap — of ice
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. firm — decided
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — finally
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kick — in football
  23. file — a document
  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