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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. file — a tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. land — to come down
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. land — ground
  15. file — a document
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. land — a country
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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