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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — of a river
  3. firm — steady
  4. branch — a division
  5. file — a tool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. file — a document
  8. firm — a company
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bank — for money
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bank — for money
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. firm — decided

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