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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: root · file · roll · swing · bank · chest · snap · pass

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a document
  5. chest — a box
  6. pass — a permit
  7. swing — music
  8. root — the cause
  9. bank — for money
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chest — of your body
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. root — of a plant
  14. snap — to click
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. chest — of your body
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. file — a tool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bank — of a river
  23. swing — in golf
  24. root — of a word

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