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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — for sport
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. bank — for money
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. field — a subject
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. board — to get on

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