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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — in sport
  4. present — a gift
  5. stem — to come from
  6. present — there
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. suit — in cards
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. present — the time now
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. suit — clothes
  21. season — of the year
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. suit — to fit

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