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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bank — for money
  3. foot — a measure
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. saw — the tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. object — an aim
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. tube — a container
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stem — to come from
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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