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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pop — music
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cell — a phone
  14. hand — help
  15. bank — for money
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pop — soda

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