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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bank — of a river
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bank — for money
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. branch — a division
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cold — an illness

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