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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. can — a tin
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — to get on
  6. wind — moving air
  7. can — to be able to
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — for money
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bank — of a river
  23. board — a committee
  24. can — a tin

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