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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. present — a gift
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. present — there
  9. file — a tool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bank — for money
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. tube — a container
  20. bank — of a river
  21. toast — bread
  22. present — the time now
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. tube — in a tire

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