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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. season — of the year
  3. rock — music
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rock — a stone
  8. file — a tool
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. land — ground
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bank — for money
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. swing — in golf
  17. land — to come down
  18. bank — of a river
  19. land — a country
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bank — for money

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