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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.

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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. file — a line of people
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. tube — a container
  11. staff — employees
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. firm — steady
  19. game — a match
  20. staff — employees
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bank — of a river
  23. tube — the underground
  24. file — a document

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