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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rock — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. object — an aim
  7. spring — the season
  8. object — a thing
  9. file — a line of people
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. file — a document
  12. rush — hurry
  13. spring — of water
  14. file — a tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. object — to protest
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. branch — a division
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stand — on your feet

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