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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. foot — a measure
  6. capital — a city
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — a thing
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. capital — money
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bank — for money
  14. object — to protest
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — an aim
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — to come from
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. perch — the fish

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