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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: snap · bank · chip · bulb · field · present · lean · mark

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. field — a subject
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. chip — to eat
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lean — thin
  9. mark — a trace
  10. present — there
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — for money
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mark — a grade
  21. field — farmland
  22. bulb — for light
  23. snap — to click
  24. field — for sport

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