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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. file — a line of people
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bank — for money
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chest — of your body
  13. vault — a safe
  14. file — a tool
  15. chest — a box
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — hasty
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wave — of the sea

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