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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bank — for money
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stem — to come from
  7. drill — army training
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bank — of a river
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a dance
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spring — the season

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