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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mine — for digging
  10. hand — help
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stem — to come from
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bank — for money
  24. rush — to hurry

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