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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — the time now
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. bat — the animal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. present — a gift
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — magic
  14. drill — army training
  15. present — there
  16. drill — the tool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. spell — letters
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bat — in an idiom

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