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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. stem — to come from
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. file — a tool
  13. field — farmland
  14. pop — soda
  15. file — a document
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. snap — to click
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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