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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bass — the fish
  6. file — a tool
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bank — for money
  9. swing — music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. present — a gift
  14. file — a document
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. present — the time now
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chip — to eat
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — for betting
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  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