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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — a song
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bank — for money
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hand — help
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. track — a path
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bank — for money
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. track — to keep track

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