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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bank — for money
  3. net — for catching
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. net — in sport
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bank — for money
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. tear — from crying
  23. net — after costs
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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