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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. file — a document
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. file — a tool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. file — a line of people
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. staff — employees
  15. snap — to click
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. tube — a container
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stem — to come from
  21. staff — employees
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stem — of a plant

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