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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bank — for money
  6. face — to confront
  7. court — of law
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — to point toward
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. court — for sport
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. face — part of the head
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. field — for sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. court — of a king
  22. field — farmland
  23. prune — to trim
  24. field — a subject

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