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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pound — a weight
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stem — to come from
  11. spring — of water
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — a coil
  15. ground — a position
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. spring — the season
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — for money

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