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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: chest · chip · jam · file · present · bank · trunk · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. present — there
  4. file — a document
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. hand — in cards
  11. file — a tool
  12. chest — of your body
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hand — help
  17. present — a gift
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chest — a box
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. chip — for betting
  23. present — the time now
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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