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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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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a document
  4. cue — for pool
  5. file — a tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cue — a signal
  9. present — a gift
  10. clip — a video
  11. bank — of a river
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. vault — a safe
  15. clip — for paper
  16. chest — a box
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. bank — for money
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cue — a hint
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. chest — of your body

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