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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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Word bank
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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: snap · chest · file · stand · bank · rush · degree · fine

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. degree — an amount
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fine — all right
  14. degree — temperature
  15. file — a tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stand — to bear
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chest — a box
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stand — for spectators
  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