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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bank — for money
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. land — ground
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rock — music
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ball — a dance
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — a partner
  17. land — to come down
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mate — to breed
  24. land — a country

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