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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chest — of your body
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. chest — a box
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. content — happy
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. file — a tool
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — for money
  16. firm — decided
  17. stem — to come from
  18. file — a document
  19. content — the amount
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. firm — steady
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stand — for spectators

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