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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. stem — to come from
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. roll — a cake
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. last — final
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. roll — a list
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pound — for dogs

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