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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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 — of a river
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ball — a dance
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rock — music
  9. content — happy
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. file — a tool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. file — a document
  20. bank — for money
  21. content — the amount
  22. face — to confront
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cell — a phone

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