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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bank — for money
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. row — to paddle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. row — a line
  15. foot — a measure
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bank — for money
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bear — the animal

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