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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lie — to recline
  3. court — of a king
  4. bank — for money
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. root — the cause
  18. bank — for money
  19. root — of a word
  20. mug — a face
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stem — to come from
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. root — of a plant

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