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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: staff · firm · spring · bank · present · mate · wound · chip

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bank — of a river
  3. firm — a company
  4. present — there
  5. spring — a coil
  6. firm — steady
  7. mate — a partner
  8. present — the time now
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — a gift
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bank — for money
  15. firm — decided
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spring — of water
  18. wound — an injury
  19. chip — to eat
  20. staff — employees
  21. spring — the season
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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