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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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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: key · object · cell · suit · stem · wind · bank · file

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. object — an aim
  3. suit — clothes
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wind — moving air
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stem — to come from
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wind — moving air
  16. key — in music
  17. bank — for money
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bank — for money
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. key — for a lock
  23. file — a document
  24. stem — of a plant

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