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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. craft — boats
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — a skill
  13. shower — rain
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bank — for money
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. shower — to wash
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — belonging to me

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