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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: bank · stand · mark · rash · object · file · snap · squash

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. object — an aim
  5. snap — to click
  6. file — a tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a document
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rash — a series
  14. object — to protest
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. object — a thing
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rash — hasty

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