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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bank — for money
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bank — for money
  9. race — a contest
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cell — in biology
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. race — humankind
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mark — a trace
  24. race — the arms race

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