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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. file — a document
  5. spring — the season
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rest — a break
  11. spring — of water
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bore — to drill
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bank — for money
  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