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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: rash · club · file · stem · wake · arm · bank · pit

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bank — for money
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rash — hasty
  11. club — a group
  12. file — a tool
  13. pit — a hole
  14. file — a document
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rash — a series
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. club — for golf
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rash — on the skin
  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