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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: file · wave · game · bay · bark · mark · wind · bank

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. file — a tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bank — for money
  24. mark — a grade

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