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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rash — a series
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — for catching
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. net — in sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. net — after costs
  23. bat — for baseball
  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