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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bank — for money
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. season — in sport
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stem — to come from
  17. season — of the year
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wave — of the sea

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