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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — thin
  4. file — a tool
  5. spring — the season
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. staff — a stick
  9. spring — of water
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. file — a document
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stock — shares
  15. bank — for money
  16. staff — employees
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lean — to bend
  19. file — a line of people
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stock — goods

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