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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bank — for money
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. present — there
  6. bank — for money
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. degree — an amount
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. snap — to click
  12. face — to confront
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. face — part of the head
  15. band — a music group
  16. stem — to come from
  17. face — to point toward
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. degree — from a university
  20. present — a gift
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bank — of a river
  24. band — a ring

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