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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bank — for money
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. firm — decided
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. firm — a company
  13. bank — of a river
  14. firm — steady
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stock — shares
  17. stem — to come from
  18. spring — the season
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stock — goods
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — of water
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wake — before a funeral

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