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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. file — a document
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. file — a tool
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chest — of your body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. file — a line of people
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rest — a break
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. deal — to handle
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — help
  24. chest — a box

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