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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 120 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: object · file · dip · bank · tube · clip · chair · fall

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a document
  5. fall — the season
  6. clip — a video
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fall — to drop
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bank — for money
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — the underground
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. object — an aim
  20. file — a tool
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. clip — for paper
  24. object — to protest

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