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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rash — a series
  8. file — a tool
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. snap — to click
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bulb — for light
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — of a river
  18. file — a document
  19. pop — soda
  20. file — a line of people
  21. chip — for betting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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