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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stem — to come from
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — bread
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bank — for money
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. track — a path
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. track — to keep track
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — a song
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — an illness
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. kick — in football
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stem — a stem cell

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