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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 120 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — a tin
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rule — government
  13. can — to be able to
  14. content — the amount
  15. clip — for paper
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — a video
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bank — for money
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — a law

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