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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: rash · file · nail · bank · stem · court · spring · present

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. file — a line of people
  3. present — there
  4. rash — a series
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — a coil
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. present — the time now
  9. court — of law
  10. file — a document
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — for sport
  14. spring — the season
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. file — a tool
  17. spring — of water
  18. present — a gift
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. court — of a king
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rash — hasty

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