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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mug — to rob
  8. snap — to click
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. bank — of a river
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. mug — a face
  17. rock — music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mine — for digging
  20. file — a document
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stem — to come from

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