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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · patient · object · pound · stem · bank

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. file — a tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bank — of a river
  7. file — a document
  8. pound — a weight
  9. object — to protest
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bank — for money
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. object — a thing
  17. file — a line of people
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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