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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. swing — in golf
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. swing — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — for money
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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