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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 120 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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. can — a tin
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. can — to be able to
  19. chip — for betting
  20. march — the month
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bank — for money

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