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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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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: capital · rest · snap · bank · jam · file · staff · craft

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rest — a break
  4. file — a document
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bank — for money
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. capital — money
  9. snap — to click
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. craft — boats
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bank — for money
  15. staff — a stick
  16. rest — what's left
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. file — a tool
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. capital — a city
  22. file — a line of people
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. craft — a handicraft

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