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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. charge — a price
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pitch — completely
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bank — for money
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stem — to come from
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hand — help
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bank — of a river
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. charge — in control
  24. hand — in cards

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