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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fine — all right
  8. bore — to tire
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wound — an injury
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bank — for money
  14. wound — an injury
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bore — to drill
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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