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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. present — the time now
  4. bear — the animal
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hand — in cards
  8. present — a gift
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. shower — rain
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. present — there
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — a path
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bank — for money
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bank — of a river

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