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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. court — of a king
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tube — a container
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wake — a trail
  14. face — part of the head
  15. chair — a leader
  16. face — to confront
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bank — for money
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mug — a cup
  24. chair — a professorship

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