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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. spring — a coil
  3. drill — the tool
  4. spring — of water
  5. ground — a position
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. spring — the season
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. file — a tool
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pit — a hole
  14. drill — army training
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bank — for money
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. file — a line of people
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wave — with your hand

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