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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cap — a hat
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. cap — of ice
  8. land — to come down
  9. firm — steady
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to click
  13. bank — for money
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — decided
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stem — to come from
  19. land — a country
  20. cap — a lid
  21. firm — a company
  22. land — ground
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. calf — of the leg

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