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

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. spring — the season
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bass — low music
  15. bank — for money
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spring — a coil
  21. ball — a dance
  22. spring — of water
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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