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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bank — for money
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. row — a line
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bound — certain
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. saw — the tool

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