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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. bass — the fish
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. tear — to rip
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bass — low music
  13. bank — for money
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bound — obliged
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stem — to come from
  19. suit — to fit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bank — for money
  23. sharp — clever
  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