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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. file — a document
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bank — for money
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mug — a cup
  9. swing — in golf
  10. last — finally
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. snap — to click
  13. last — to go on
  14. mug — a face
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bank — for money
  19. mug — to rob
  20. file — a tool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. swing — music
  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