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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. current — happening now
  4. hand — help
  5. mug — a cup
  6. kick — in football
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bank — for money
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bank — for money
  12. current — of water
  13. kid — child
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. current — electric
  17. cell — a phone
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mug — a face

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