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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bank — of a river
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rock — a stone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rock — music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cap — of ice
  15. file — a document
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. squash — to crush
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cap — a lid
  21. file — a tool
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bank — for money

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