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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · row · trunk · bank · fall · file · wake · fan

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bank — of a river
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wake — a trail
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fall — the season
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bank — for money
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. leaves — to go away

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