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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. chest — a box
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bank — for money
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stem — to come from
  9. net — in sport
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bank — of a river
  12. net — for catching
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. suit — in cards
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. net — after costs
  23. bank — for money
  24. face — part of the head

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