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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 120 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. field — farmland
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — help
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. field — a subject
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chest — a box
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. field — for sport
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chest — of your body

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