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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. object — an aim
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bank — for money
  5. object — to protest
  6. stem — to come from
  7. shower — rain
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — music
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bank — for money
  14. rock — a stone
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. object — a thing
  22. fork — in a road
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stem — 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