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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a tool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. snap — to click
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bank — of a river
  13. branch — a division
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. file — a line of people
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fine — all right
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mate — a friend

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